


The Diamond Prodigy

by WiredWriter



Category: Fullmetal Alchemist - All Media Types, Fullmetal Alchemist: Brotherhood & Manga
Genre: Alternate Universe - Character Insert, Complex relationships, Disguise, Especially Tally, Everyone Has Issues, Hohenheim is a Good Man, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Minor Character Death, Original Character-centric, Racism, Vigilantism, War, not a good dad
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-04
Updated: 2020-10-26
Packaged: 2021-03-08 03:01:44
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 39,815
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26808574
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WiredWriter/pseuds/WiredWriter
Summary: The price of Tally's freedom was small in comparison to the price of her life and her abnormal alchemy. The only ones who agreed with her sentiment was the military. Most of the military...
Relationships: Alphonse Elric & Original Character(s), Edward Elric & Original Character(s), Winry Rockbell & Original Character(s)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 6





	1. Prologue

**1913**

On the outskirts of Central City, a young girl climbed through one of the back windows of an abandoned one-story house, her eyes covered with the bill of her hat. She dragged herself over the broken glass of the window, suffering cuts on her forearms and lower shins as she went. She groaned as she finally landed on the floor and on the black coat over the pieces of glass embedded in the stiff carpet. She picked herself up and hobbled over to the kitchen island where a tattered, leather messenger bag lay overstuffed. The girl sat herself on the granite counter and pulled the bag closer to herself. 

Her arms were bare in a rust red tank top and tattered and dirty jeans. Her skin and clothes were covered in dirt and grime from the night and early morning out in the streets. A dark hat was the only piece of clean clothing on her person. 

She sighed as she rubbed the back of her neck and rolled her aching shoulders back. She reached into the bag and retrieved tweezers, a handkerchief, a roll of bandages, and a small flask of alcohol. She swished the liquid around in its flask.

_'I'll need to get more soon.'_ She thought.

She rolled the legs of her pants up to her knees and set to work removing the shards of glass there and in her arms. She worked quickly and with the practiced ease of someone who had dressed wounds hundreds of times. She poured alcohol onto the handkerchief and dabbed it over her wounds, then rolled the bandages over her limbs.

"That's the last time I step between an amateur alchemist and a defenseless passerby." She muttered to herself as she placed her supplies back in her bag. 

_ 'No, it's not.' _ She thought to herself with a chuckle as she swiped her hat off her head.

Long, white bangs fell in front of her face and stopped at the ridge of her collar bones. The girl scratched her scalp through her close-cut locks to the back of her neck as she lay on the cool counter. She twirled one of her long white locks around her fingers as her blood red eyes gazed at the cracked ceiling.

_ 'Tonight's my last night.' _ She thought, arms tucked behind her head.  _ 'Hopefully there won't be too much trouble.' _

* * *

In a palace-like building across the city, two people sat in a guest suite together. One, a tall suit of armor and the other a young, golden-haired boy. The armor sat on a couch in front of which was a coffee table with papers scattered across it. The golden-haired one was scanning over a file in his lap atop a bed and the armored one was attempting to organize the papers crowding the table. 

A metal hand turned the pages of the file and his thoughts turned to a conversation held earlier in the day.

_ "Her technique is one you're very familiar with, Fullmetal." The dark-haired Lt. Colonel said. "You would be sad to know that it's not as unique as you thought." _

_ "Spit it out, Mustang." He demanded. _

_ The Lt. Colonel smirked. "She doesn't need a transmutation circle." _

_ 'If she doesn't need a circle, or have to join her hands together, it could only mean one thing.' _ He pondered _. 'The Philosopher's Stone.' _

His feet, one of flesh and bone and the other of cold metal, tapped restlessly on the floor as he scoured the file again, only to receive information he already knew.

**Name:** Unknown

**Aliases:** "The Diamond Prodigy"

**Gender:** Female

**Age:** Early to mid-teens

**Height:** 5'-5'2"

**Description:** Military grade black coat covers clothing, gray hat pulled down over eyes and dark scarf over lower half of face. Often out during the night, late evening and early morning. Seen in Youswell, New Optain, South City, Central City. . .

The alchemy cancelling handcuffs that had been given to him to capture The Prodigy weighed heavily in his pocket as he read further. This information was meant to help him, but it did nothing to ease the doubt taking root in his mind. His superior made the assignment seem so easy, but from what he could see, this Prodigy was very complex.

She had no real routine or route. The places she chose were random, with no known connections on location. The only thing the boy's superiors had figured out was how long she stayed in one area. They had seen her in Central two days ago and were giving the blond and his armored partner that night as a deadline.

"What do you think, Al?" Asked the boy as he paced the room to sit beside the armor. "Should we do it?"

Alphonse, the armor, shrugged his metal shoulders and responded in a child-like voice that did not match his stature. "We have no choice, Brother. Mustang and Hawkeye said-"

"I know what they said. . . But, why are we really doing this?" There was a scarlet cloak, a black coat and shoes at the foot of one of the beds behind them, all too small for the armored giant. There was another bed pressed against the opposite wall, but it was devoid of any personal belongings. It was obvious it would not be used.

"What do you mean, Ed?" Alphonse inquired.

The boy, Edward, stood again from the couch and started to pace from wall to wall behind the couch. "I mean. . . We have to arrest her, right? But, what is she doing wrong? She's helping people, Al."

Alphonse shifted in his spot on the couch. "But, she's hurting people, too."

"Criminals."

"She's a criminal, too." 

Edward stopped were he stood and stared at his metal sibling. "Could you let me win one debate, please?" He whined.

Alphonse made a sound like a sigh. "As your younger brother, it's my job to be annoying." He reasoned playfully.

"Well, you're doing great." Edward flopped onto the couch beside his brother. "So, we have no choice in the matter, and arresting The Prodigy is the only thing we can do. But, is this right?" 

Alphonse looked down at his empty, leather gloves as they clenched into fists. "I dunno. But, it's the military, we have to do as told." 

The Elric brothers spent the day planning how to capture the elusive Prodigy. When they were not weaving a plan, Edward was sleeping or eating his fill from food service. Alphonse simply watched on, mildly annoyed, but he was used to his brother's laziness and continued to work while Edward slacked off. 

When the sun started to sink below the horizon, Edward reluctantly put on his coat, cloak and boots and tucked the handcuffs the Lieutenant Lt. Colonel had given him into his pocket. He turned to his brother.

"You ready, Al?" The armored soul nodded. "Let's scout us a Prodigy."

* * *

In the living room of the abandoned house at the edge of Central, the white-haired girl shook her black coat clean of shards of glass and rolled the legs of her pants down over her bandaged shins. She stepped into a pair of gray boots half a size too small and pulled on her coat. She approached the open window with her bag over her shoulder.

_ 'Alright, don't psych yourself out now.' _ She thought, her crimson eyes scanning the city skyline.  _ 'It's just like any other night on the town, but this is Central. The last time I was here. . . things didn't turn out so great.' _ She grimaced at the sky before shaking her head and vaulting out the window. 

_ 'Now's not the time to think about that, _ ' she speed-walked down the busy streets with her hands shoved deep into her pockets. The girl's eyes fell shut when her hands came into contact with the coal dust in the corners of her pockets _. 'I can't afford to be distracted tonight. I have to think about what's happening now, or lives might end.' _

She turned down an alley and with a quick look around found that it was empty. The girl reached into her bag and retrieved a dark blue scarf and her hat. She pulled the bill of her hat low over her eyes and tucked her bangs into it, then tied the scarf over the lower half of her face. She checked the main pocket of her bag and found it just as she had left it: overstuffed with lumps of coal.

"Okay, then, onto business." The girl muttered to herself. She took several steps away from the brick wall of an apartment building and took several deep breaths before focusing on the fire escape above her.

Darkness, like black lightning, flared around her feet and the ground beneath her shot upwards, propelling her into the air, then settled as though it had not moved at all. She flew through the air like a bullet and angled herself to land on the roof. She rolled into a crouch near the opposite edge of the roof and leaped forward to another roof. She kept on this way until she reached the center of the city.

She finally stopped at the top of a building overlooking Central Command and watched as blue clothed military officers walked to and fro on the stone steps and the streetlamps were lit row by row, block by block. Daylight melted away and was replaced by the darkness of the night; the moon and stars did little to light the way, but the girl was used to this. To the few pedestrians out, she would appear as a stone statue on the building, or not there at all when she blended in with the shadows.

The moon was halfway in the sky when she moved from the rooftop. She dropped into the alley beside her and pressed her back to the wall. She was about to exit when she heard footsteps and voices. One set was the light thumping of thick-soled shoes and the other was heavy and had a hollow, metallic echo.

"How much longer do you think we'll have to walk around for?" One asked, their voice boyish in quality.

"Maybe all night." The other answered, their voice was high pitched and child-like. There was a whining groan followed by a scoff. "Why? You tired already? You've been sleeping all day."

The girl darted behind a dumpster as they came closer and passed by the alley. One was a tall suit of armor, its shoulders and forearms spiked and wearing a white apron around its waist. A long strip of cloth protruded from its head and its eyes glowed red in the darkness. There was a shorter figure in black swamped in a scarlet cloak. His blonde hair was pulled back in a braid and his hands were shoved in the pockets of his dark pants.

The boy in the scarlet cloak yawned. "I don't think I slept enough."

The armored one chuckled. "Lazy."

The girl took a step backward, the heel of her shoe knocking over a can behind her. It rattled loudly as it rolled away from her and further into the alley. 

The boy at the opening of the alley turned at the sound and peered into the darkness. "Hello?" He called. He received no answer.

The armored one perked up. "Is it a cat?" He asked excitedly.

"I doubt it, Al." The boy moved to the mouth of the alley. "Hello?" He called again. 

Luckily for the girl, the dumpster she was hidden behind was near the center of the alley and it was too narrow for the armored one to fit through. She crept backwards, keeping her eyes on the boy coming closer, her footsteps were near silent, but was not quiet enough.

"I can hear you." The boy remarked. "What are you so scared of?"

Against her better judgement, she scoffed and replied. "Not very many things. Especially not of runts like you." 

Something whistled pass her ear and clattered on the ground a little way behind her. She touched her face to find her scarf was ripped near her cheek.

"What did you call me?" The boy asked, his voice an eerie calm.

The girl stood and smirked. "What? Is it hard to take the truth?" She then turned tail and ran before anything else could be thrown at her. She saw what had cut her scarf when she ran down the alley and found it to be a small blade with hasty transmutation marks on it.

_ 'An alchemist.' _ She thought.  _ 'They haven't sent one of those after me in a while.' _

Edward watched as she ran, thinking it best not to go after a civilian for calling him short when he was on a mission. Then he saw her long, black coat, the scarf covering her face and the gray hat keeping her eyes hidden.

His eyes widened. "It's her! Al, go around!" The blond teen called to his sibling as he ran down the alley.

"Right!" Alphonse agreed and dashed around the building.

It was hard for Edward to keep track of the girl as her dark clothing kept blending in with the dark landscape and she kept away from street lights and stuck to dark alleys.

All the while, she was smiling under her scarf, giddy despite being chased.  _ 'This is fun.'  _ She thought.  _ 'It's been a while since I've had to run from someone. I hate to cut it short, though."  _

Then, she did something . . . odd.

The ground lurched beneath her feet, sending her flying into the air above him. She landed on the fire escape of a building, several stories up. Edward could not watch for long as the ground rolled like a wave beneath him, all the while crackling with black alchemic sparks, and threw him backwards. He landed on his back, dazed and winded. As he regained his breath, Ed looked up at the fire escape and found it devoid of people.

Edward sat up with a groan and glanced up and down the sidewalk. It had settled as though nothing had happened to deform it.

"What the hell?" He muttered.

"Brother!" Alphonse came running from across the street, his footsteps echoing loudly in the quiet of the night. He kneeled beside Edward. "Are you alright?" He asked.

Edward raised a hand to his forehead. "Yeah. Something weird just happened, is all." He placed his other hand on his brother's forearm to support himself as he stood.

"What happened, Ed?" 

"She used alchemy." Edward shrugged as he started down the sidewalk with Alphonse following closely behind him. "And just like the Lt. Colonel said: she didn't draw a circle or join her hands."

"It's the Philosopher's Stone." Alphonse declared. “It’s gotta be!”

"Or maybe something else." Edward started walking faster as he rounded a corner. "C'mon, Al, there's no time to waste."

The brothers scoured the city through the night, searching high and low for the elusive Prodigy. Their efforts were fruitless, but they kept looking. Unbeknownst to them, the brothers were being watched from above. The girl's figure followed from the rooftops, and there were long periods when she was not with them at all. She made sure to keep out of their line of sight, though there were a few close calls where the brothers nearly spotted her. 

Eventually, she left them behind to continue her own mission. The Prodigy snuck her way to different parts of the city, stopping small crimes and being an escort/bodyguard for some wary civilians. All the while making sure she was not being followed by the Elrics or anyone else. She was successful in misleading them, until she encountered a young woman and her child.

She watched the pair from the rooftops. The woman was anxiously looking around the walkways and held her son close to her side. So close that it looked as though the child would be absorbed into her skirt. She was about to move to the ground as the mother and son traversed down a particularly dark alley, when the sound of light tapping reached her. With a burst of dark sparks, the lump of coal The Prodigy had retrieved from her bag was transformed into a diamond blade and propelled in the direction of the sound. It slammed into a wall and stuck there. A bird squawked and flapped its wings wildly before flying away.

The girl sighed and turned to sit with her back to the roof's edge. One coal-dust stained hand met her forehead.  _ 'It's just the city getting to me.'  _ She thought.  _ 'It's nothing.' _

A feminine scream echoed from the alleyway below.

The young girl muttered a curse as she dropped into the alley. She landed between the woman with her child and a dark clothed figure swathed in shadows. The blade of the knife they were brandishing glinted in the low lighting provided by the moon and stars.

"The hell—?”

Without taking her eyes off the person in the shadows, The Prodigy addressed the mother and child. "Please, take your child and go." The woman and her son remained frozen in fear. "Now!" Her shout tore them from their stupor and the mother plucked her son from the ground and ran down the long alley.

"I don't know who you think you are, kid," the man sneered as he stepped toward her. The shadows cast from his hood hid his face. "But, you're not just gonna get away with that."

Crimson eyes glared at him from the shadow of her cap. "Neither will you." 

* * *

"Ed, I think we should go back." Alphonse suggested.

"Well, I think we shouldn't." Edward snapped as he continued down the walkway.

Alphonse was a few steps behind him. "Seriously?" He asked incredulously. "Just a few hours ago all you wanted to do was to go back to Command." 

Edward pointed up to his younger sibling. "That was me a few hours ago. I've changed my mind, now." He turned and kept walking but was stopped by a leather glove gripping the hood of his cloak. "H-hey--!"

"I know you want to talk to her, Brother. But,--"

"Let me go, Al!" Edward cried as he tried to wriggle away.

"You have to obey the Lt. Colonel's orders. We have to arrest her and that's it." Alphonse reminded firmly.

Edward jolted forward as Alphonse let him go and walked ahead of him. As he jogged to catch up Edward asked, "Since when are you all about following orders?" He inquired.

Before Alphonse could answer, a scream filled the air.

The brothers ran in the direction of the sound and soon came across a woman leaning against a building, panting to catch her breath as a young boy looked up at her worriedly.

"Miss!" Alphonse called. "Miss are you alright?" The child edged closer to the woman as the brothers came forward. The woman nodded weakly and stood straight.

"Was it you who screamed?" Edward asked. The woman nodded again. "What happened?"

The little boy spoke up then. "A man came at us with a knife. H-he tried to hurt Mama."

Edward looked wildly around, golden eyes alight and fierce, as though expecting to see the culprit in front of him. "Where-?"

"B-but!" The boy continued. "A lady came from the sky and protected us!"

If Alphonse had eyebrows, they would have been furrowed in confusion to match the tone of his voice. "Huh?"

The woman placed a hand on her son's head. "He means she came down from the rooftops. She told us to run and we did. But, I left her back there with that man. I feel bad, she looked young." She glanced away from the brothers with a hand to her mouth and a worried wrinkle on her forehead.

"And where was this?" Edward asked. The sound of a loud, rattling bang echoing from nearby followed by a thud nearly cut off his sentence.

"Just follow the sounds of the fight." The woman took her son's hand and turned to leave in the opposite direction of the noise.

Edward and Alphonse dashed toward the sound, which led them to the entrance to a long alley.

Edward turned to his brother. "Al, go around and see if there's another way out." 

Alphonse nodded and ran into another alley to circle around.

Edward made his way down the alley as quietly as he could and searched for movement in the limited light the moon and stars provided. He dropped into a crouch next to the wall when he heard footsteps. When he focused he could see a cloaked figure lean another figure against the opposite wall. With a crackle like electricity, the figure rose and was encapsulated by the brick wall. 

There was a moments' pause and a breath of exertion. There was another crackle of dark sparks, a pause then,  _ slam! _ Bricks from the wall broke apart and fell to the ground.

Edward flinched at the loud, unexpected sound, but remained where he was.

"Brother!" Alphonse's worried voice called.

Both Edward and The Prodigy turned at the sound. As The Prodigy turned from the person embedded in the wall to make their escape, Edward lunged.

He tackled her around the waist and they both tumbled to the ground. They rolled away from each other and as Edward came to a stop, he called to Alphonse.

"Block it off!" Edward shouted. There was a burst of bright, blue sparks and a wall formed at the end of the alley. Edward joined his hands, slammed them on the ground and soon enough another wall formed at the other end.

The Prodigy moved to her feet and glanced down both ends of the alley. "I'd say I'm impressed, but, to be honest, I've seen better."

With a speed the likes of which Edward had never seen, she was suddenly in front of him with a blade at his throat.

_ 'Jeez, she's fast.' _ He thought.

"It's you from earlier. I thought I had lost you and the iron giant hours ago." She commented.

Edward smirked despite the weapon at his neck. "Well, you aren't too hard to find. Not that quiet either." He knocked the blade away and the sound of metal on metal rang out from the contact. The Prodigy backtracked quickly and crafted another blade.

She crouched into a stance to fight. "I'm not afraid of you."

Edward matched her stance. He joined his hands again and touched his right wrist. With a burst of alchemical sparks, a metal blade tore through his white glove and grew over his fist. 

"I'll give you reason to be."

_ 'No transmutation circle and a metal arm?' _ She thought.  _ 'This guy better be who I think he is, or I'm gonna be pissed.' _

The girl dashed forward with her blade bared in front of herself. She slashed at Edward, but he was quick to move to the side with a swing of his blade. The Prodigy ducked and rammed the heel of her palm upwards and into Edward's chin. He stumbled back and the girl followed with her shoulder pressed against his chest to push him away. Dark sparks lit the ground just behind Edward's feet and a small ledge popped up. The teen tripped over it with a yelp and grabbed onto the nearest thing, The Prodigy's coat and brought her down on top of him.

The girl was quick to use this position to her advantage and held her blade to his neck once again.

"Who sent you after me?" She demanded through gritted teeth.

In the darkness of the night, she did not see the handcuffs Edward had taken from his pocket until they were around her wrists. The weight of them drew her attention and she looked down to see complex Transmutation Circles etched into the metal.

"I've got some good friends in the military."

_ 'That confirms it.' _ Her brows furrowed. "You work for the military? You're just a kid."

Edward's hands met with a resounding smack between them, then slammed onto the ground. Two pillars of concrete rose up and hit The Prodigy in the chest and stomach. Her blade flew from her hand and her breath left her in a whoosh of air as she was thrown backwards and onto the ground. As she was hunched over on her hands and knees trying to catch her breath, Edward wrapped his arm around her throat, her body bent slightly backwards to accommodate their difference in height.

"So are you." Edward grunted between her hits to free herself. "If you would stop fighting, my job would be a hell of a lot easier!"

The Prodigy's hands lit with alchemical sparks, but they went no further than her wrists. She screamed as the dark lightening circled her wrists, then dissipated. 

She looked down at her hands incredulously. "W-what. . . ?" With a small sound of effort, she reached her arms back, grabbed Edward and threw him over her shoulder as she lurched forward. Before he could stand, the girl leaped back, cradling her hands.

Edward looked shocked as well as he stared at the handcuffs. "Wow. The Lt. Colonel wasn't kidding." He muttered to himself.

The Prodigy glared at the sound of his voice. "You think you can lock me up with these?" She rose a brow skeptically. "Alchemy isn't my only asset." She positioned herself into a fighting stance once again, this time with fists raised.

Edward sighed. "I don't wanna hurt you." He reasoned. He barely had time to dodge the fist aimed for his face, followed by another meant for his stomach.

"Actions speak louder than words." The Prodigy stated.

She kicked high, aiming for his head. Edward ducked just in time and swept the girl's feet out from under her. She fell backwards and braced herself to land on her hands. She nearly threw herself back upwards, but with the handcuffs on she could not keep her balance for it, and instead launched backwards and onto her feet again. 

Edward followed with his bladed arm swinging and the girl ducked and dodged his attacks whilst sparing a few of her own. His blade swung dangerously close and The Prodigy backed herself into a wall. She managed to catch his blade on the chain of the cuffs and the extra space they allotted was enough to get her wrists through and her hands onto the collar of Edward's coat. With a sharp tug, Edward was brought forward, and his face met the wall over her shoulder. The girl shoved him away and moved further down the alley.

A cut had opened up above Edward's right eye and blood streamed down his face. He wiped it away before it could reach his eye.

"You're not getting out of here. With or without alchemy." Edward stated as he edged closer with his weapon raised.

The Prodigy chuckled mirthlessly. "Don't doubt me." She took a running leap at the opposite wall and ran a several feet up it before launching herself onto the wall Alphonse had created. She used one of the flaking transmutation marks as a handhold as she turned to Edward. "See you around, Fullmetal." She then scrambled up and over the wall.

"Dammit!" Edward shouted. He joined his hands again as he ran to the makeshift wall and slammed them onto it. An arch opened up and he ran through it. 

The girl jumped down from the top of the wall in front of him and glanced at Edward over her shoulder. "You're really as stubborn as they say, aren't you?" She asked, her voice laced with amusement.

"You can count on it." Was Edward's response.

The Prodigy ran into the open with Edward on her heels. They were halfway into the middle of the street with sunlight peeking above buildings on the far side of the city, when a sharp snap reached the boy's ears. Edward blanched and reached an arm out to her.

"Get down!" He warned.

But the flames had already reached her. The girl screamed as the fire circled her and licked at her skin and clothing. They engulfed her completely and for almost a minute Edward could only watch in horror as she lost air and struggled within the vibrant cocoon. The smoke and heat from the flames forced him away and he could not do anything to help from so far. 

The hellish flames disappeared quickly, and The Prodigy was left standing with her clothing singed and smoking and the scarf around her face burned away. Her back was still to him and Edward could not see her face or tell whether or not she was conscious as she swayed, then fell to her knees. Her cap fell away as her head met the ground and snowy hair fell over her face.

Edward stared wide eyed and shocked as he warily edged closer but, before he could reach her, a gloved hand clamped onto his shoulder.

"Good job, Fullmetal." A deep, male voice commended him.

Edward looked up to see his dark-haired superior standing beside him. Lt. Colonel Mustang stepped forward and kneeled beside the girl. Edward glared as the Lt. Colonel dragged her arms out from under her to check the handcuffs.

"What the hell was that?" Edward snarled.

"That was me helping you complete a mission you never could." Was the Lt. Colonel's reply.

Before Edward could say anything else, a police car pulled up in front of them with its sirens wailing. A blonde woman stepped out, wearing the standard baggy, blue military garb, and retrieved the girl's cap from the ground.

"We came as soon as Alphonse told us what was wrong." She said as she shook it free of dust and soot.

Edward looked up at her incredulously. "Wait, Al? That's where he went?" 

The Lt. Colonel nodded. "He seemed to know that you couldn't follow orders and came to get us. He's still at Command." He hefted the girl into his arms and for a moment Edward was terrified that the Lt. Colonel was carrying a limp corpse, but he heard the shallow breaths she took as the Lt. Colonel passed and was somewhat reassured. The Lt. Colonel, with his Lieutenant's assistance, placed The Prodigy in the back of the squad car and the Lieutenant sat across from her in the back-facing seat.

The Lt. Colonel was halfway into the car when he called to Edward. "Come on, Fullmetal."

Edward trudged over to the car with a scowl and threw himself into the passenger seat. 

The Lt. Colonel looked over at the teen in amusement. "Seatbelt." He chided.

Edward glared at his superior. "Would you just drive?" He said and focused again on the road ahead.

The car sat idling in its spot for several moments as the Lt. Colonel continued to stare at him in silence. With a groan, Edward complied and strapped himself in. The Lt. Colonel revved the engine before taking off toward Central Command.

The drive was silent and tense. The Lt. Colonel and Lieutenant were on edge and vigilant in case the Prodigy awakened. Edward was sore and aching from the fight and not in too much of a mood to speak about it. Several minutes into the drive, The Prodigy's eyes opened.

She had been awake for only seconds and struggling for just as long to regain movement. Her vision was blurry for a moment and she stared at what she thought were her feet until her vision cleared. Her sight moved from her dirty, suede boots to shining black ones across from her. Blue pants legs and a blue jacket greeted her next.

_ 'Military.' _ She thought.  _ 'Great.' _

Crimson irises met amber and the latter flashed with uneasy recognition for a split second before becoming blank.

"Good morning." The woman said. "The Lt. Colonel didn't burn you too badly, did he?"

The girl suddenly became aware of the movement of the vehicle she was seated in, the handcuffs rubbing her wrists raw, and the sting of her own burned flesh. She stared at her shackled wrists and remembered the electrifying sensation they gave when she attempted alchemy. She did not try again.

She did not answer the woman, either. 

"You've caused us a lot of trouble over the past few years." The Lt. Colonel said.

The girl flinched slightly. "That wasn't my fault." She stated.

"Oh, she speaks." The Lt. Colonel's dark eyebrows were raised in feigned surprise. "That's not what everyone else says.”

"Lt. Colonel." The Lieutenant warned, and her superior fell silent.

The girl's eyes moved to the woman once again then past her to the metal grate separating the front and back seats. A head of jet-black hair and a few golden strands were all she could see of those in the front seat. She stared blankly as her eyes wandered, not really focusing on anything but moving and lingering on it. Her vision blurred once again from a lack of blinking and the girl found herself staring at her hat, charred and streaked with soot. It lay on the seat beside the amber-eyed woman, who then plucked it up and offered it to her with a small smile. Shyly, she reached for it but drew back slightly when she met the woman's eyes.

"It's alright." The woman soothed and reached her arm further.

Shackled hands reached out once again and weakly grasped the grey cap. With the little space the cuffs provided the girl managed to secure the cap on her head, the chain swung and touched her nose as she did, then her hands fell to her lap.

"Thank you." She mumbled. The woman simply nodded with the same, piteous smile and turned to the window.

The girl glanced through the metal grate once again and found gold eyes staring back at her. They moved from her view as quickly as they came into it. The sight of the palace-like Central Command drew her attention and, for the first time in a long time, fear washed over her.

The automobile rolled to a stop in front of the stairs of the already bustling building. They exited the car and the girl watched as he came around and opened the door to her right. Begrudgingly, she scooted to the side and exited, the Lt. Colonel grabbing her upper arm as soon as she was outside and the Lieutenant following closely behind with a hand over her holster. The officers and the shackled criminal made their way up the stairs as others stopped to stare and whisper to each other. 

The passenger door slammed behind them and the girl paused to watch the boy she fought earlier trudge up the stairs. His face was set in a scowl and he stared down at the ground as he walked. The woman's hand between her shoulder blades pushed her forward and inside Central Command.

The sound of metal thumping and clanging brought Edward's attention from the floor to the armored figure running past The Prodigy and his superiors toward him. He watched as they dragged the girl further into the complex before a metal breastplate obscured his vision.

"Brother?" Alphonse questioned.

Edward finally met the glowing, red orbs with his brother's helmet. The concern he saw there melted away the frustration he was harboring for his actions against him. "Hey, Al." He replied wearily.

"Is something wrong?" Alphonse asked.

Edward started to shake his head, but the movement was interrupted by a yawn. "Just tired, I guess. I have been out all night." He offered as an explanation. 

Alphonse edged forward and gingerly touched the cut above Edward's eye. "And beat up. You're bleeding Brother."

Edward weakly pushed the leather fingers away. "I'm fine, Al."

"No, you're not." Edward was suddenly swept into Alphonse's arms and effortlessly carried from the foyer. "You're coming with me to the med-bay."

Edward was not successful in freeing himself from his brother's grasp and was taken to the medical wing of Central Command, complaining all the while. At some point he was tucked under Alphonse's arm not unlike a sports ball and carried that way into a dark infirmary room. 

Edward was dropped onto a bed near the door he and his brother came in from.

"Please, stay here while I get the nurse." Alphonse pleaded.

Edward crossed his arms with a pout. "Sometimes I wonder who the older brother is."

"At least we know who the responsible one is." Alphonse turned and left before Edward could retort and the double doors swung at his exit.

The infirmary was a long hallway lined with flimsy beds and Edward was sure the mattresses were moth-eaten and filthy beneath the fresh sheets. The floor was marble, and the ceiling was high just like the rest of Command. Mid-wall to ceiling windows lined the wall facing the front of the building and blinding those on the beds against the opposite wall. There were two sets of double doors, one on each end of the infirmary, and the clocks above them depicting the time 4:38.

The clean, chemical scent of the room reminded Edward of his injuries and the aching feeling of bruises and cuts. Even breathing hurt a little bit. And he was more tired than anything.

Edward shed his scarlet cloak and placed it at the foot of the bed. He threw himself back onto the flat pillow behind him with a groan and crossed his arms over his eyes.

_ 'A few minutes of sleep won't hurt.'  _ He thought tiredly.

"Your friend might be a while." A voice said.

Edward sat up wearily and looked around with bleary eyes. Someone sat on a bed on the other end of the hall with a thin sheet covering their legs as they sat up. The clinking of chains rang out as they shifted on their bed to reach for something beside them. Something clicked and artificial lighting flooded the infirmary. Edward leaped off his bed when he saw who had spoken to him.

The Prodigy sat on her bed. One wrist chained to the frame and her other arm reaching for the light switch on the wall beside her. Her hands were wrapped and there was a bandage reaching from her right cheek to the bridge of her nose. She was without her coat and hat and was left in a dirty, gray tank top and jeans. Her white hair was close-cut and long parted bangs fell over the corner of her right eye and completely obscured the left side of her face. Her nose was straight and her jawline prominent, her high cheekbones and her blood-red eyes were very different than the features of most Amestrians.

"The nurse just left with my blood work." She continued as if a long silence had not stretched between them. "It'll take a while for my information to be put into the system."

Edward slowly made his way over and he was halfway across the floor when she spoke again. 

"No need to be scared of me." She said degradingly and shook her chained wrist weakly. "I can't do anything with this on."

"And who says I am?" Edward taunted.

She gave him an obvious look. "I've spent a long-time watching people. You can learn a lot from a person's body language." A cough erupted from her lips and Edward stilled as she continued. She reached for the glass of water on the table beside her and drained half of it. 

She weakly waved a hand in Edward's direction. "Oh, no, I'm fine. Don't get the nurse or anything." 

Edward continued forward until he was at the bed next her and stood on the side farthest from her.

"How long have you been doing this?" He asked quietly.

The girl rose a grey eyebrow at him. "Are you the interrogator?" She sassed.

Edward's left eye twitched and he made a small sound of irritation. "Just answer the damn question." He grumbled.

She sighed. "About two years." 

"And how old are you?"

"12."

Edward's eyes widened then narrowed.  _ '12? She's younger than me, but she looks. . .'  _ He thought, noting the tired, scarlet eyes that aged the girl beyond her years. Then he remembered her height information.

_ '12 years old and she's so much taller than me? That's not fair!'  _ He fumed. 

"Don't look so surprised." She smirked as she raised her drink to her lips. "Some people are tall for their age, like me, and some are abnormally short. Like you." She mumbled against the rim of the cup.

Edward lunged forward with his eyes alight and furious. He grabbed the strap of the girl's shirt and held his metal fist in front of her face threateningly.

"You wanna say that again?!" Edward raged.

She had just managed to move the cup out of the way when Edward came closer and shrugged nonchalantly at his question. "It's not like saying it again will make you grow taller."

Edward growled and glared at the girl's nonchalant expression for a moment before letting her go and backing away to sit on the bed beside her own.

"I have a few more questions." Edward admitted through gritted teeth.

"I am your captive audience." The girl said with a flourish of her chained arm.

Edward's eyes fell to the shackle on her wrist at the movement and remained there as he asked his next question. "What happened the last time you were here?"

The girl's care-free, sarcastic expression was quickly replaced by a serious one and her gaze fell to her chained wrist. "That’s none of your business." She grit out.

Edward scowled. “Could you just tell me? I’m trying to make sure you don’t get a death sentence here.”

“People died.”

With that short statement the air shifted dramatically and Edward frowned to himself. He could not recall an incident involving The Prodigy wherein people died; there was not one in the file given to him. Was she lying? 

The girl sat with goosebumps prickling her skin and obviously reluctant to elaborate, so he moved on. "And what about your alchemy? Can you explain that to me?"

The girl visibly shuddered and shrunk into herself. "I don't think I can.”

Edward's mind was set. He knew from the moment that he was assigned the task to bring her in that something had to be wrong. He had never heard of her, never knew of anyone in Amestris who did what she did. What he gathered from all he had read was that she had no intentions of harming anyone unless they meant harm. 

He did not care what Mustang, or the police wanted from this girl. 

His questions about her alchemy could wait and so can the military. Whatever she had, they wanted, but she could not give it up, but they had him bring her in anyway. She was working outside of the law but was also doing a better job than them. To the military, she was everything wrong with Amestris, but Edward saw no problem with her help.

Edward moved to the other side of the bed, sat and leaned closer.

"Okay, I've got another question." The girl looked over to him through her hair. "Do you want to get out of here?"

As soon as the question left his mouth the doors on the other side of the hall swung open and a tired sounding Alphonse walked in with Edward's suitcase in hand.

"Okay, Brother, I brought you your clothes to change into. Also, it'll be a little while longer before the nurse comes back—"

"Great!" Edward exclaimed as he dashed back to the other side of the room. He grabbed Alphonse's hand and managed to drag him back to The Prodigy's bed.

"Ed? What are you—? Who's that?" Alphonse asked, his echoing voice tinged with suspicion.

"Don't worry about it. All you need to know is that we're helping her out with something." Edward sat on the bed beside her and joined his hands and placed them on its metal frame. With a crackle of alchemical sparks, two small metal rods fell away and into his hands, one thin and sharp and the other blunt and bent near one end.

He moved closer to the girl's chained wrist with the instruments in hand, but she slid the shackle along the bed frame and away from him.

"You shouldn’t do that." She reminded him. "Why risk your job for a criminal?"

Edward sighed. "Because if I don't, I'll feel bad. So, please-"

An incredulous expression took over the girl's features. "So, you're helping me out of pity?" 

"Maybe." 

"I don't need it."

"Look, if we don't get you out of here, who knows what they could do to you?"

"Prison is the least of my worries."

"There are worst things than that. Whatever they're blaming you for probably isn't true, is it? We could help you clear your name from it."

"And what if there's anything else she did?" Alphonse prompted.

"What do you know, Tin Man?" The girl sneered.

Alphonse hummed indignantly. "You're a criminal, you’ve hurt a lot of people-"

"And saved many more." The girl interrupted. "Do you believe everything your superiors tell you? If so, then you guys are more like dogs than I thought. You State Alchemists and I aren't that different with your whole 'be thou for the people' shtick. You do everything you can to protect and serve and sometimes even catch the bad guy, if there is one. All the while trying to keep people from getting hurt. I do the same thing, but I don't have the badge, the title, or the money to back me up." She placed her hand on her chest and brought it back down with each thing she listed. "Yet, at the same time, I'm saving lives and making people happy, but I'm the criminal?"

Whilst she was speaking, Edward was working away at the expensive handcuff around her wrist. It unlatched with a crack and Edward exclaimed victoriously.

The girl's brows were raised in surprise and disbelief as she looked from her freed wrist to Edward and back again.

"You should be glad I'm helping you. I doubt anyone else would." Edward chided knowingly.

The girl gave him a deadpan glare. "My hero." She muttered through gritted teeth. She tentatively rubbed at the raw skin of her wrists as she stood from the bed and turned to the brothers. "So, what's your plan for getting me out of here?"

Edward turned to his sibling and grinned at him slyly. "Al, this is where you come in."

* * *

_ 'How does this kind of stuff happen? _ ' The girl thought to herself as she sat within the cold, dusty interior of Alphonse's armor.  _ 'This is weird, I'm inside a person.' _ She sat as still as she could and held in the need to sneeze from the dust, or cough from her earlier smoke inhalation. It was too dark to see and the light filtering in from Alphonse's head and open joints did little to help her. Alphonse sat at his brother's bedside as the nurse looked him over and she remained silent within the armor. 

The Prodigy had to hold back her laughter when the nurse scolded Edward for cursing when she prodded his injuries, though he continued to grumble. It was not until after the nurse was done with him did she realize The Prodigy was missing from her bed. She ran out of the room in a frazzled hurry, muttering something along the lines of being fired and calling everyone in. 

Edward jumped from his bed and hastily changed his clothes. He threw on his cloak and grabbed his suitcase. "Now's our chance." 

Alphonse moved to stand, and the girl swayed within and almost fell down one of his legs. She somehow managed to comfortably reposition herself as they rushed out the door and followed Edward to a different part of Command, though it did not look too different from the rest of it. 

Bells blared from all around and some blue-clothed military officers ran toward the direction the kids had come from. Others looked on confused, but Edward ran faster through the compound with Alphonse following closely behind.

"What are we doing in the investigative wing?" Alphonse asked. His voice reverberated within the armor and around the person inside.

"I need to grab something. It'll only take a second." Edward said and led them in the direction of the evidence lockers. 

Alphonse stood in the archway before the check-in desk and waiting area as Edward made his way forward. The place was empty, there was no one behind the desk or in any of the hard, plastic chairs. There was a plaque on the desk that read "on lunch break. Be back in 20 minutes" with a smiling face drawn on it. Edward rounded the desk and saw a shallow, plastic bin with a black coat folded inside, a messenger bag and a pair of diamond daggers.

"This looks familiar." Edward muttered. He approached Alphonse's hulking figure with the tub in hand. "Bottoms up, Al."

Alphonse leaned down and took his helmet off and Ed dumped the contents of the bin into the armor. Muffled thumps and taps emitted from within followed by shuffling. Alphonse readjusted his helmet.

Edward tapped on Alphonse's breastplate. "You ready?" He asked the person within.

"Yeah." She replied quietly.

Edward looked up into Alphonse's glowing helm. "Let's get going, Al."

They quickly made their way out of Central Command with little trouble. Soldiers ran around still looking for The Prodigy as they left and said prodigy and Edward could not help but feel a little proud for fooling them.

"Hey, Alphonse?" The girl asked once they had several blocks between them and Command.

Alphonse looked down at himself. "Oh, sorry. Do you want to get out?"

"No. Just. . . I never really asked what you thought about this situation."

Alphonse hummed thoughtfully. "Well, at first, I thought you were just a criminal. Someone who does bad things and hurts people."

"Way to make a girl feel nice, Al." Edward chuckled. Alphonse nudged him and the girl hummed thoughtfully.

"But," Alphonse continued. "After you explained yourself, it became obvious that you aren't like that. You want to help people and you don't care what happens to you because of that. And. . . that you're looking for something. We could help you find it." Alphonse proposed.

The girl was silent for a few moments. "I don't know about that. It's not really a group effort kind of thing." She argued weakly. "Besides, I already owe you guys for this, I don't want to add more to the plate."

"Are you sure about that?" Edward asked, an eyebrow raised. "After all of this, we can't just leave you on your own." 

"And with the military hunting you?" Alphonse exclaimed. "You'd be safer with us than alone." The girl had no response. "Hey, since you owe us for breaking you out, I have a favor for you."

"Shoot."

"Stay with us. We could help you and keep you from getting caught." Alphonse suggested.

There was a moments' pause. "If you don't mind, I'd like to." She offered shyly.

"Then, it's settled. You're sticking around for a while." Edward said with a smirk. There was a scoffing chuckle from the girl in the armor, but no refusal. "You know, I don't think we got your name. We can't keep calling you The Prodigy."

The girl's laughter rang out, long and hearty and Alphonse could not help but chuckle along.

"Yeah, with everything that was happening we kind of forgot." He recalled sheepishly.

"Tally Lucas." She said, a light chuckle in her tone. 

"Tally?" Alphonse asked in awe. “That’s a pretty name.”

"I'm flattered."

* * *

Wailing police cars and officers surrounded and scoured an alley between a boutique and bakery with men in navy blue coming in and out of the large alleyway. Rubble lined both ends and sweat-soaked men with sledgehammers sat against either of the walls. 

"Can you believe this mess?" One officer asked.

"No. Nor can I believe they decided to have a cage fight." Another officer said in an exasperated tone. "Whoever's doing this ought to clean up after themselves."

One man leaned out of the alley, a surprised and worried look on his face. "Uh, S-Sir! You should take a look at this!" He called.

The previously chatting policemen speed walked toward the alley's entrance, carefully stepping over pieces of rubble and resting men. They traversed deeper into the alley and came to a stop at an odd lump in the wall.

"What the. . .?"

Then the lump in the bricks started speaking.

"H-huh? Hey! Get me out of here, please! I-I can't move!"

Some of the officers leaped back in shock and fear, but one stepped closer and saw a face peeking out of the side of the lump. A person was encased inside.

"Aw, man. You're police? I-I swear I didn't do anything!" The man in the wall pleaded. "If anyone did anything it was that f-freaky alchemy bitch, alright?! She did this!"

"Sir, did you see this?" One officer asked.

The officer moved away from the man in the wall to peer in the bricks beside him. A shining princess diamond was imbedded in the wall; a familiar signature.

"Seems the Prodigy is making our job easier." One younger officer commented timidly. Glares from the others in the alley were all he received in response.

"Go help with clean up, Thomas."

"Yes, Sir."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Happy FMA Day!


	2. Chapter One

The trio found a motel, miles from Central Command, open at six in the morning. If Edward and Tally were not already tired from the long night out, they were exhausted by the time they reached the room. Edward collapsed onto one of the room's two cheap beds face down and Alphonse kneeled on the floor to let Tally out.

"Tally?" He asked softly. "Tally?" Alphonse opened his breastplate and retrieved the girl from within. Deep, even breaths reached him; she was sleeping. Alphonse chuckled, wondering how she could fall asleep inside him with his loud, clumsy steps, he figured he was uncomfortable. He carried Tally to the other bed and carefully took off her shoes and threw a blanket over her. He placed her bag, coat and daggers on the bedside table between the two beds.

Edward had sat up on his own bed to remove his cloak and coat. "How are we gonna hide her from the military, Al?" He asked his brother as he threw his boots to the floor. "She can't hide in you forever."

"Can't we worry about it later?" Asked Tally sleepily. The brothers looked over to her quickly, surprised she was awake. "Edward, you are the loudest whisperer I've ever heard." She was lay on her back, one of her arms up in the air to gesture vaguely in Edward's direction. "We can talk about this later, when we're not sleep deprived."

"But," Alphonse started.

"Relax. It's not the first time I've had to hide in plain sight." Tally soothed. "Good morning, guys." She turned on her side with her back to the brothers and fell silent.

The brothers exchanged a doubtful glance but said nothing about her statement. Edward soon fell asleep, his snores starting soft and growing in volume, yet somehow not waking the girl on the other side of the room. Alphonse sat in one of the two cushioned chairs, wide awake and restless. He glanced up at his brother and Tally what could have been every few minutes or hours and found a new or darkened bruise forming on their visible skin each time. 

There were some littered on Edward's arms along with bandages and a palm-sized bruise on his chin. Below his left eye was dark and swollen, his lip was split, and a blood-stained bandage was taped down just above his right eye. Tally had a bruise taking over her upper chest that Alphonse figured she desperately needed ice for, and some of her bandages were peeling away, revealing the enflamed skin beneath. 

Within a few hours, one of the sleeping teens were awake. Alphonse was within his own mind and did not see when Tally left to the bathroom with her bag in hand. 

Tally started the shower and stripped herself of her dirty clothes and ruined bandages. Tense muscles loosened, and she sighed when the cold water fell over her. It helped sooth the sting of her injuries, none of which were too serious, which she was thankful for. The nurse had said that the burns would not scar. She already had too many of those.

Once finished, Tally stood in front of the bathroom mirror with some of the contents of her bag scattered across the counter. A glasses case, her dirty gray shirt, and a bowl she had found under the counter that was half-filled with water.

 _'When was the last time I did this?'_ Tally asked herself. _'Two years ago, maybe?'_ She sighed as she ran her fingers through her white bangs, held them back and let them fall forward again. _'Hopefully no one recognizes me.'_

Not long after Tally had awakened, Edward sat up on his bed groggily rubbing his eyes. He looked to the couch where Alphonse was seated then to Tally's empty bed. 

"Morning, Brother." Alphonse greeted. 

Edward glanced at the small clock on the bedside table and saw that it read 11:43. "Yeah, morning, Al." He replied hoarsely. 

"I was thinking about going to that deli shop down the street for breakfast, what do you want?"

"Anything with everything on it." 

"That's specific." Alphonse drawled.

Edward attempted to lift himself off the bed but winced and sat back down. "And maybe some ice packs while you're at it." He hissed.

Alphonse gave a small wave as he paused at the open door. "I'll be back soon." He said and left.

Edward sat on his bed for several minutes longer, trying to wake up and stay awake after the few hours of sleep he managed, and when he looked at the clock again it read 12:03. He reached for his suitcase at the end of his bed and fished out a change of clothes. He dragged himself to the bathroom door and tugged on the handle just as it swung open and inwards. He stumbled inside and a pair of hands on his shoulders kept him from crashing into someone.

"Are you alright, Elric?" Tally asked.

Edward stepped back and rubbed at his eyes once again. "Just tired and sore." He looked up at Tally and paused, confused. This girl in front of him did not look like Tally at all. This girl’s hair was dark, and she wore glasses over pale blue eyes. "What the—?”

Tally laughed and looked at him over the top of her glasses, red replacing her previously blue irises. "This disguise must be pretty convincing if you don't recognize the girl who kicked your ass." She walked pass him with her bag in hand and out of his view.

Edward blinked away his confusion and whirled around. "How do you do that?!" He exclaimed. Tally hummed in reply from somewhere in the room. "How do you change the color of your eyes with your glasses?"

"There's more to alchemy than creating weapons." Tally said. "I'm surprised you didn't comment on what else I said."

Edward leaned out the door and glared at Tally who sat on her bed. "I heard you." He said darkly. "Technically, it was a draw. We're having a rematch soon."

Tally shook her head. "I still need to heal."

"Don't give me your excuses!" Edward shouted suddenly. "I should have won fair and square and you know it!"

"You're in the same boat as I am!" Tally pointed out. "Besides, I would have won if the Col. hadn't gotten in the way." 

Edward stomped over to her, enraged. "You wanna bet?!"

"Bring it on, Short-stack!" Tally stood, glaring down at the shorter teen. Just as Edward lunged for her, a hand latched onto the back of his shirt.

"C'mon, Ed." An exasperated Alphonse said. He dragged his brother back as he shouted possible insults Tally could have directed at him. "She didn't say any of that."

"But, what I did say, he rightfully deserved." Tally defended.

Alphonse finally looked over to her and realized the girl he was addressing did not look anything like the fugitive he helped escort out of Command. "Um, who-?"

Tally chuckled. "Don't worry, Alphonse. It's me. Wow, my disguise must be working very well." She commented as she reached for the deli bag in Alphonse's hand.

Alphonse warily released his brother, who decided to seat himself on his bed. "It's very convincing. How did you change your eye color?"

Tally sat down on her bed as she unwrapped one of the three sandwiches that were in the bag. "Chemistry and alchemy are wonderful things." She mused and took a bite of the sandwich.

"Uh, I didn't know what you liked." Alphonse spoke nervously. "You don't mind bacon, lettuce and tomato, do you?"

"It's okay, Alphonse, as long as it's food." Tally smiled.

Edward had sat grumbling quietly to himself throughout their exchange and perked up when the bag with the other two sandwiches were thrown into his lap. He looked up to see Tally quietly tearing through her sandwich and turned his attention back to the food in his lap.

"So," He started once both he and Tally had finished their meals. "You already have your disguise, but what about your name? You can't use your own, it'll stand out."

Tally gave a wide, playful smile. "Aw, thanks!" She said.

A light flush rose to his face in embarrassment. "You know what I mean!" 

Tally stood and brushed her hands off on the darker jeans she had changed into. "Don't worry, I've already got it covered." She approached the elder Elric and extended her arm for a handshake. She smiled politely. "Hi, I'm—"

* * *

"Melissa. Nice to meet you." She introduced herself to the blue-eyed little girl in the library of the Tucker household. "Your name is Nina, right?"

With her disguise, Tally managed to fool the military personnel when she returned to Central Command after several weeks away from the brothers in her own safe house in the slums just outside the capitol. The pair were reluctant to leave her on her own with the military crawling all over the region, but with some convincing and the reassurance that she had done this dozens of times before they let her be with the promise to retrieve her soon. With her hair grown out and all aspects of her disguise in place, Tally introduced herself as Melissa Tyson, an old friend of the brothers, whom they had recently met up with in Central. Col. Mustang and his team had bought it with little skepticism.

Two years later and Tally and the Elrics were still together. She had grown inches taller and her skin deeper in color from weeks at a time in the sun rather than her nights under the moon. Edward would always negate her superior height by reminding her that she was younger than him, if only by a few months. They had managed to hide the girl in plain sight as she accompanied them on their search for the fabled Philosopher's Stone. With military permission to observe as an unbiased third party if things ever went awry, of course. 

After a dodgy case in the desert town of Liore, involving a phony priest, an equally as phony Philosopher's Stone and several thousand radios, the trio were in East City researching at another State Alchemist's home; Shou Tucker the Sewing-Life Alchemist. 

She had already known that the brothers had tried human transmutation, Alphonse had told her that he lost his body and Edward his arm and leg in an accident and it became obvious to her. Within a few days of withholding information from their newfound friend, the brothers explained their failed attempt at human transmutation to bring back their dead mother. Which they explained again to Tucker.

She did not need to explain her reasons for being there as she had convinced Tucker that she was not an alchemist and, therefore, need not follow the rules of Equivalent Exchange. 

She and the boys moved to the library to study Tucker's research on bio-alchemy and were left to their own devices. Tally, or Melissa, wandered through the bookshelves simply glancing at the titles on the book spines. She knew more than enough about bio-alchemy thanks to her father.

Melissa had been seated on the floor leaning against one of the many bookshelves, when she spotted the mousy brown braids of Tucker's daughter disappear behind another bookshelf. She kneeled in front of the child and introduced herself.

The young girl, Nina, nodded shyly in response to her question. A mass of white fur blocked Melissa's view of the child and the vague smell of mixed meats invaded her nose. The dog that had tackled Edward earlier was panting in her face. Melissa held back a squeal of happiness as she playfully smushed the dog's face.

"And who's this big, beautiful boy?" She asked excitedly.

Nina latched onto the beastly creature and hugged him around the neck. "His name is Alexander." She replied, lisping due to the missing teeth in her mouth. "He's cute, huh?" 

Melissa smiled. "The cutest." 

The girl suddenly turned somber and plucked lightly at the dog's fur. "He's the only one I have to play with anymore. It's pretty lonely when Daddy's in his lab." 

Melissa's brows turned upwards sympathetically as she watched the saddened girl and her canine. "Hey, how about we play?" She asked kindly.

The girl's blue eyes brightened. "Really?!" She exclaimed happily.

Melissa nodded. "And, if you want, I can get the boys to play with us, too." 

Nina latched onto the front of Melissa's shirt. "Please, please, please!" She pleaded.

The older girl chuckled and easily lifted the child off the ground and maneuvered her onto her back. "C'mon, Little Lady, we’ve gotta find them first." Melissa turned to the dog and whistled for him to follow.

Within two bookcases, they found the hulking suit of armor that was Alphonse. Nina squeaked and hid her face in Melissa's shoulder when she saw him. "Don't worry, Nina." The older girl consoled. "Alphonse is a friendly giant, kinda like Alexander." 

Edward sat on the library floor surrounded by stacks of books so high, he could hardly be seen. His concentration was broken by the sound of childish giggles and laughter. He stood and left his books behind to investigate. Edward found Alphonse, Melissa, and Tucker's child and dog playing in the middle of the library. Melissa was keeping the mutt entertained and Nina sat atop Alphonse's shoulders, laughing joyfully as he marched in place.

"Way up high!" Alphonse cheered, and Nina giggled again. Alexander stood on his hind legs with his front paws on Melissa's shoulders.

"I think Alexander wants up!" Nina said.

Melissa feigned disbelief. "I'm not that strong." She stated, and the dog licked her cheek.

"What are you guys doing?" Edward asked scornfully. "You're supposed to be researching."

Alphonse shrugged as well as he could with a small child burdening his shoulders. "Nina wanted to play."

Edward placed his hands on his hips. "Well, in case you forgot, we didn't come here to play horsey." 

Alexander had turned from Melissa at this point and ran at Edward. The boy had only glanced up in time to see the dog's silhouette and scream before he was trapped beneath him. 

Melissa's hands were clasped over her mouth in efforts to hold back her laughter. "Oh, no." She managed.

"Alexander says he wants to play, too." Nina chirped innocently, and Melissa allowed a small chuckle to fall from her lips.

"Oh, that's what you want, is it?" Edward asked, his voice muffled beneath the mound of fur that was Nina's dog. He somehow managed to find a way out from beneath the canine. "You have bested me twice, dog, but playtime is over. I, Edward Elric, will use my considerable powers to vanquish you, mangy mutt!" Edward declared and chased after said "mangy mutt," his eyes alight and playful but determined.

Nina sat atop Alphonse's shoulders and laughed at the elder brother and Melissa called after him. "Be careful there, Armstrong! This is a library!"

"Shut up!" 

No progress was made in their research after then. They spent the remainder of their time wasting it. Edward continued to chase Alexander, the others joining him at some point, all of them jeering at both the boy and the dog and laughing together. Then, the tables turned when Alexander began chasing them. The children scattered and hid or ran. They made up a rule that if you were tackled by the beast, you were down for the count and unable to help or hide. 

Surprisingly, Alphonse was the first one defeated and Alexander never attacked the girls, only finding the girls to rain slobbery kisses on them and then run off again. Three of the four children trailed after the fluffy, white dog as he searched around. They found Edward at the door to the library, attempting to escape his inevitable attack. Alexander had Edward trapped before he got too far.

Nina and Melissa were red-faced from their laughter and Alphonse was chuckling lightly, his metal shoulders bouncing with the sound. Edward made no attempt to free himself and groaned in defeat.

The door to the library swung open and a blond-haired man stood in the open portal. He wore the standard, blue military uniform and an unlit cigarette hung from his mouth. He was Jean Havoc, one of Colonel Mustang's team members. 

"Hey, Chief, your ride has arrived." The man announced. His blue eyes scanned over the visible, giggly children then landed on the gold hair and booted feet that peaked out from beneath Alexander’s furry mass. "What are you up to down there, Ed?"

Edward moved warily to his feet. "What? Let's just say I'm taking a break from a long day of research." He explained tiredly. 

Melissa and Alphonse stood as well, and the girl spared a glance out the window to find the sky painted orange and red. "Evening already?" 

"After all that you must be dog-tired." Tucker joked, laughing lightly at his own joke. Melissa managed a small smile and Edward groaned tiredly. "Why don't you come on back tomorrow?" He suggested.

"Thanks." Melissa said and moved to follow the siblings out of the library, but the child holding her hand stopped her.

"You're really coming back to play again?!" Nina asked excitedly.

Melissa kneeled to meet the young girl's eyes and smiled at her. "You bet. We'll play tomorrow, okay?" Nina threw her arms around Melissa and held on tight. She was a little surprised at the sudden hug but returned it anyway.

"Okay! See you tomorrow, Big Sister!" The child smiled widely and released the older girl, who stared at her in shock. 

Melissa felt a rush of fondness for the child and she was filled with a warmth not only from the child's hug. Her shock was replaced with a kind smile and Melissa pat Nina's head and turned to leave. 

The teens and Havoc made their way out of the large house and down the cement walkway to the car awaiting them. Edward rushed for the front seat and stuck his tongue out at Melissa as he buckled himself in and his brother and friend slid into the back. Melissa reciprocated the action with one of her lower eyelids pulled down as well. There was barely enough room in the back for the armored soul and the fugitive to fit.

Havoc joined them in the car shortly after and the vehicle peeled away from the curb with a roar of the engine. 

Melissa forewent putting on her seatbelt and leaned forward, folding her arms over the backs of the front seat and placing her chin on them. "Hey, Havoc." She started. The man glanced at her through the rearview mirror. "Do you know what animals Shou Tucker used to make the talking chimera two years ago?"

Havoc shrugged. "Well, Ms. Tyson, I'm not too sure. I didn't see it, but I heard it was a parrot, lizard and some other unidentifiable animal. Why'd you ask?"

Melissa sat back, but still did not put on the safety belt. "Just curious."

Havoc took them all the way back to the motel the young alchemists were residing at—Edward was too stubborn to lodge at Eastern Command as he refused to reside anywhere near the Colonel. They bid the Second Lieutenant goodnight and retreated to their room. 

Tally dropped onto her bed and shed her shoes and white button up shirt, leaving her in a faded red tank top. "Learn anything new today?" She asked the brothers.

Edward groaned and fell onto his bed as well, face-first. "No." Was his muffled reply as his face was buried in his pillow. "At least Tucker is allowing us back tomorrow." 

"Hey, Tally, Nina seems to really like you." Alphonse noted. "She even called you her big sister."

Tally chuckled and put a hand to her cheek bashfully. "Yeah, she's a sweet kid. She just needed a girl to hang out with." Her soft smile turned sly as she leaned back on her elbows. "I mean, Edward's pretty girly, but that's not enough."

Edward bolted upright. "What's that supposed to mean?!"

"All I'm saying is a haircut would do you some good. If I didn't know who you were and saw you on the street, I would have mistaken you for a girl." Tally said.

Alphonse turned his head toward Tally with a creak. "That's a little mean." He chided, though his tone was light.

Tally held up a hand in a gesture that meant no harm. "Alright, Alphonse, but at least your brother doesn't sound like a girl." She said with a pointed look in Alphonse's direction. 

"Hey!"

Edward was beside himself with laughter. He held his sides as he howled and nearly fell off his bed.

"I have the voice of a ten-year-old boy! Excuse me if it sounds a little girly to you!" Alphonse defended himself to his sibling and his friend, but both continued to laugh at his expense. Alphonse was not really mad at them, in fact he was attempting to hold back his own laughter.

The following day, the trio returned to the Tucker estate. The moment they rang the doorbell, Alexander came bounding toward them from the side of the house. Edward flinched back, and Alphonse laughed at him, but Melissa kneeled down and called the dog with her arms wide open. Alexander jumped up to place his paws on her shoulders and she pet him happily. The teen's face was buried in the dog's white fur when the door opened.

"Oh, it's you three again." Shou Tucker said. "At least Alexander is behaving this time. Come back to study?" 

Alphonse and Edward nodded, and Tucker allowed the three of them inside with Alexander following closely behind. Tucker stopped them near the staircase leading to the second floor.

"Nina," He called. "They're back!"

A high-pitched, childish squeal reached them, and they all winced and Alexander whined. Tiny feet came thundering down the steps and Nina launched herself into Melissa's arms with a happy cry.

Melissa laughed and swung the child in her arms. "Hey, Little Lady! How's it going?" She asked playfully. 

"Big Sister Melissa! You're back!" 

"Hey, where's our hugs?" Edward asked teasingly.

Nina simply giggled and wrapped an arm around Edward's neck, pulling him into Melissa's side. The child was halfway out of Melissa's arms and most of her upper body was hanging over her shoulder to reach Edward, and with the boy barely reaching Melissa's shoulder in height, it made the hug a little awkward. Alphonse simply patted the top of Nina's head with a chuckle, the orbs of light within his helmet becoming happy half-crescents. 

Nina turned to her father, still within Melissa's arms. "Daddy, can I go with them to the library? Please?" She pleaded.

Tucker sighed. "I suppose. It is easier than hiring a babysitter." The man turned to the stairs. "I'll be in my study if you need me. You know where the library is." He said and left them on the lower floor.

"Thanks, Daddy!" Nina called after him, but he had already disappeared behind a closed door.

Melissa positioned the child on her hip and effortlessly carried her to the library with the boys following behind her and Alexander circling her feet. Nina was happy to see the prodigies again and was giggling over Melissa's shoulder at the boys. Alphonse lightly tapped the child's nose and she wrinkled it before laughing again.

In the library, Melissa sat across from Alphonse with Nina beside her, both of them leaning against a bookcase. Alexander lay between Alphonse and the girls, dozing off and Edward was on the other side of the shelf with his nose buried in one of the many books surrounding him.

There was a thick book open on Melissa's lap as she and Nina poured over it, Melissa pointing things out to the child and explaining them in a way she could understand. There were lengthy paragraphs and transmutation circles within it. Nina was completely mesmerized by alchemy, which she thought was absolutely magical.

"Wow! It's kinda like magic!" The child exclaimed.

Melissa chuckled at the girl's awe at the science. "I guess. Has your dad ever taught you alchemy?"

Nina shook her head. "No. Daddy says he doesn't want me to see him do al-che-my. Says it's dan-ger, d-danger-"

"'Dangerous?'" The older girl offered. Nina nodded. "What about your mom?"

"Uh-uh. Mommy hasn't been home in a long time."

"Nina," Melissa started. "How long has your mom been gone?" She asked quietly. 

The young girl put a finger to her chin in thought. "Um, Daddy says two years." 

Alphonse looked up from his book quickly. "Your mother left two years ago?" His voice was incredulous.

Nina nodded. "Daddy said she went back to live at her parents' house." 

Alphonse set his book on the floor beside him. "It must get kinda lonely with just you and your dad living in this big house, huh?" He asked sympathetically. 

Nina shook her head again and threw her arms around her dozing dog's neck with a wide smile. "Not really. Daddy's so nice! And I've got Alexander to play with, too." The smile suddenly melted away, much like it had the day before when she and Melissa first spoke to each other. "But, lately, Daddy's been studying in his lab all the time. I guess that does make me a little bit lonely."

Her words struck a chord with the Elric brothers for Alphonse sat at attention and Edward snapped his book closed. The State Alchemist stood, stretched and yawned before turning to the others in the room. 

"My shoulders are killing me." He said as he massaged each one.

"Maybe you should try to move around some, Brother." Alphonse suggested.

Edward smirked. "Yeah, not a bad idea, Al." Melissa smiled up at him when she realized what he was trying to do. Edward pointed to Alexander. "Hey, you, mangy mutt, looks like you could use some exercise!" 

Alphonse and Melissa were quick to get to their feet as well. Melissa extended a hand to Nina, who was still on the floor. "Let's go too, Nina." She smiled. The child giggled and took the girl's hand to follow the others to the backyard.

The backyard was spacious, and trees dotted the area. It was more than big enough to match the size of the Tucker Manor.

Alexander barked and immediately started after Edward. The boy screamed and ran through the grassy yard with the dog hot on his heels. When Alexander came back around Nina climbed onto his back, and they both chased after the blond, the boy screaming all the while. Soon Edward's shouts transformed into laughter and he goaded the dog and its owner into following him around the yard.

"Come on!" Edward called over his shoulder. "Come and get me! Come on, slowpokes!"

Nina giggled. "Wait up!" As she and Alexander passed by the back porch again, Melissa reached out and swept the child off the canine's back. The young girl laughed joyfully as Melissa threw her into the air and caught her again.

Whilst the girls were preoccupied, Edward had transmuted his metal hand into a head that much resembled himself with a sharp mouth that opened and clamped shut. He shut it close to Melissa's face, startling her slightly and making Nina squeal.

"Run, Melissa, run!" The girl cried.

"I'm going!" Melissa chuckled and shifted Nina onto her back and ran. Nina squealed and laughed as she ran and kept looking back at Edward who was chasing them with his transmuted arm extended.

"I'm gonna get you!" Edward taunted. "Look out! Here I come!" Alexander soon followed after the blond and circled his feet, stopping him in his tracks. Edward’s balance shifted from the sudden stop and he fell onto his backside at the trunk of one of the yard's many trees. The massive dog gnawed on Edward's Automail arm contently as though it were a treat. 

"What are you doing, Dog?" He asked dully.

"He has a name, you know." Alphonse called.

"I know!" Edward called back, Alexander still chewing on his arm. "This isn't a chew toy. This a piece of expertly-crafted machinery, and you're ruining it with your slobber!" The dog yelped and lunged for the boy's face. Edward screeched as he fell back with the dog on top of him, licking his face. "Agh! Stop that!" He cried.

"Aww." Melissa cooed mockingly. "I think he likes you. What do you think, Nina?"

Nina gave an exaggerated nod. "Yep. Alexander only jumps on the people he really likes." Melissa laughed lightly and placed the girl on the ground, Nina ran to Alphonse and Melissa approached Edward, who still lay beneath the hound in the shade of the tree.

She stood at his side leaning over with her hands on her knees as she looked from him to the dog. "Do you need some help there, Edward?" She chuckled.

"Shut up." The boy growled then screeched. "Ah! He got my mouth!"

Melissa squatted on her heels and snapped for the dog's attention. Alexander stood and turned from Edward, who sat up on his elbows, and sat between them. Melissa cupped the animal's face and rubbed his ears and Alexander leaned heavily against her. "There," She chirped. "Nothing to it."

Edward sat up with legs crossed watched and a pout on his face as Melissa easily interacted with Alexander. "Why is he so nice to you?" 

Tally raised her chin with false arrogance. "Maybe he senses that I'm a good person."

Edward gave wry grin. "Says the fugitive." He countered.

The brunette reached forward and brought his face into Alexander's white fur. "Shush!" She hushed him.

Edward's face was buried in the fur of Alexander's back and he suddenly realized just how soft the dog's fur was. He was so busy running away from the dog and trying to ignore him that he never really had a chance to pet Alexander. His arms circled the Tuckers' pet and Edward turned his head so he could breathe.

"This mutt is very comfortable." Edward commented.

Melissa sat down completely with her legs folded beside her and her hands planted on the ground. "I think Alexander would like you more if you stopped calling him a 'mangy mutt' and started calling him by his name." She suggested.

"I’ll think about it." Came Edward's muffled reply, his face once again buried in Alexander's fur.

Nina came running over with Alphonse trailing behind. "Hey! What's Edward doing with Alexander?" She asked.

"I think he's bonding, Sweetie." 

"Does this mean you'll stop being mean to him, Edward?" Nina asked hopefully.

Edward gave a noncommittal hum. "Yeah sure.” Then, in a conspirator whisper to the dog. “How mad do you think she’d be if I shaved you and used your fur as a coat?”

Nina flopped down on the ground beside Melissa and stared up at the canopy of leaves above her. 

"Are you alright, Nina?" Alphonse asked kindly.

The child nodded slowly and pointed up at the leaves above them. "Uh-huh. I was thinking about the flowers that used to grow on this tree. I really liked them." She mused. "Daddy says the tree is dying, that's why there aren't any more flowers."

Melissa lay back beside Nina and looked up at the light green leaves. "Oh." Alphonse said. "That's too bad."

 _'Maybe I could. . .'_ Melissa's thought trailed as she reached her arms over her head and placed her hands on the dying tree's trunk. Beneath her fingertips the bark ignited with black sparks and a burst of warmth and energy shot through the tree and to the tip of every branch. Certain chemical sequences rearranged and changed to her liking.

Within moments, colorful flowers sprouted from leaves and branches and petals rained down around them. Nina's gasp of awe and joy made Melissa smile and Edward look up from Alexander's fur to gaze at the falling flowers.

"Wow!" Alphonse exclaimed.

Edward looked around, nearly as awed as the little girl beside him. "Whoa, T-Melissa, what did-?"

Nina's giggle cut him off and the child launched herself at Melissa. She threw her arms around her neck. "Magic flowers!" Nina cried happily.

Alexander barked as he leaped around and nipped at the petals that lazily drifted to the earth and Nina stretched her arms to the sky to catch them. Melissa looked up at the vibrant flowers with a laugh and Edward snatched a few out of the air beside her and with a clap of his hands, created a pair of flower crowns. He placed one on Nina's head and the little girl thanked him with a smile. The other was chucked at Melissa.

"Thanks." She said and placed it on her head. The crown had small, twisted twigs arching over her head and hanging in an intricate design over her forehead, flowers littered throughout the crown. "What do you think?" She asked, jokingly turning her head to and fro to model it off.

Edward shrugged. "I've made better." He said nonchalantly.

A smirk grew on Melissa's face. "Oh? So, you make flower crowns often?" 

"Wha-? No!"

"How about I make you one?" Melissa moved toward Edward with a handful of flowers in hand. The blond scooted away, and the girl came closer before bringing him down with an arm barred across his shoulders. "C'mon, Edward!" She taunted. "You'd look really nice in one!"

Edward wriggled around in an attempt to escape. "No! Get offa me!"

They struggled on the ground, Melissa attempting to create a flower crown and place it on Edward's head and the boy scrambling to get away. Nina ran with Alexander to catch the flowers and Alphonse sat nearby, looking as though he wanted to help his sibling, but instead sat back and laughed. 

Shou Tucker leaned out the back door, meaning to call the children indoors, but paused at the sight before him. One of the trees was raining colorful flowers over the yard, Nina, with flowers in her hair chased Alexander through the petals, the armored soul sat leaning against the tree, laughing at the pair fighting on the ground. 

"Children!" He called. They all froze, and Edward took advantage of the momentary pause to throw Melissa off of him. "Please, come inside. It's getting late."

"Coming, Daddy!" Nina called back and started for the door with Alexander following closely behind.

Melissa and Edward looked up and through the sea of leaves above them, saw that the sky was melting into an inky bluish violet. Edward's left forearm came up to cover his eyes from the dying sunlight.

"Already?" He whined.

Melissa chuckled beside him and launched herself onto her feet. "Yep, c'mon." She offered a hand to Edward, but he slapped it away and stood on his own.

Once inside, the teenage prodigies were escorted to the four-chair dining table by the head of the Tucker household. Alphonse sat at one end of the table, Edward sat at his right and Melissa to his left, Tucker sat at the other end.

"Boys," the man started. "As you know there are Assessments once a year for State Alchemists." Edward nodded wordlessly. "Well, mine is coming up, and I am saddened to say that I don't have anything ready. If you didn't know, Ms. Tyson," he turned to Melissa. "Assessments allow us state certified alchemists to keep our certifications, and I can't afford to lose mine." Tucker placed his head in his hands and ran trembling fingers through his short hair, staring down at the tabletop. 

"Before I earned my certification, our lives were terrible." Tucker explained with a glance at Nina, who sat at an ottoman by the window with Alexander at her side. "We were so poor in those days. My wife couldn't stand living that kind of life, so she left us. . . I can't afford to fail this assessment. I don't want to go back to those days ever again. I don't think I even could."

Nina turned from the ottoman and moved to stand beside her father. "Don't worry, Daddy, it's okay. If those people do tell you no, me and Alexander will growl at them until they say yes!" The girl said with a wide smile and the others laughed.

"You tell 'em, Nina!" Alphonse encouraged with a laugh.

Tucker turned to his child with a soft smile. "Hey, Nina, I've got an idea. Do you want to play with Daddy tomorrow?"

The girl's eyes brightened. "Really?" She gasped.

Tucker nodded. "Yeah."

With a shout of happiness, Nina jumped into her father's arms. "Alexander," she started, her arms around the father’s neck. "Daddy says he's gonna play with us tomorrow!"

Alexander spun in circles and barked, seeming to understand his owner's happy tone. The three younger alchemists laughed at the sight. 

Soon, Havoc came for the teens again to escort them back to their motel room. Once in the automobile, with Edward in the front seat once again, Havoc paused before driving away from the Tucker estate.

"Ed, are those. . . flowers in your hair?" The man inquired, his expression one of bemusement.

"What?!" Edward swatted at the top of his head and plucked a blue flower from the beginning of his braid. He slowly turned around in his seat with the flower in hand and met Melissa's wide, innocent blue eyes. Alphonse was holding back laughter beside her. Havoc glanced between the children before chuckling and turning back to the steering wheel and leaving the Tucker household behind.

Edward found a plethora of flowers entangled in his braid and spent the rest of the drive raking his fingers through his hair to free it of the colorful petals. He spared Melissa dark looks through the rearview mirror and over his shoulder and often found her staring back at him with a smirk or conversing and snickering quietly with his brother. Havoc sat chuckling quietly to himself at the growing pile of flowers on the seat and carefully kept the ashes of his cigarette away from the vibrant petals.

Edward scowled all the way up to the motel room and walked ahead of Alphonse and Tally. He beat Tally to the shower and took longer than usual simply to annoy her. When Edward returned to the main room Tally was just taking off her glasses and she was without her white button-up and Al sat on his bed, any words he was about to say cut off by his sibling's entrance.

"You better not have used up all the hot water." Tally warned as she passed him on her way to the bathroom.

"You'll find out." Edward shrugged. Tally stuck her tongue out at her fellow alchemist before disappearing into the bathroom. Too quickly for Edward to retaliate.

Within 15 minutes, Tally re-emerged from the bathroom, her hair now a washed out brown instead of the near black it was before, a small towel around her shoulders and wearing loose shirt and sweatpants. She found that the room was dark save for the light the moon and stars provided through the window between the beds. Alphonse was silent on the cushioned chair against the wall, his luminescent eyes flickering back and forth with his thoughts. Tally placed her clothes in one of the bedside tables' two drawers and spared a glance to her left. Edward lay awake, his arms folded behind his head as he stared up at the ceiling thoughtfully.

"Can't sleep?" She asked him. Tally stared down at her hands, her nails stained with coal dust and palms lightly scared from fights. 

Edward looked at the clock on the table Tally stood beside. 9:40. "It's not that late."

Tally nodded. "Still, I'd imagine that you would be exhausted after today."

"A little." Edward yawned. "And a bit pissed that we didn't get any research done, either."

The girl chuckled softly. "Relax. We still have tomorrow."

"Two days wasted. . ."

"Oh, be quiet." Tally silenced him and sat on the edge of her bed. "I wouldn't say it's a complete waste. Nina had a good time." She offered.

Edward scoffed. "I didn't. I got attacked by that damned dog again." He grumbled as he sat up and faced the girl across from him.

Tally smiled. "You did have fun, though. Getting chased by 'that damned dog.'"

"Yeah, it was fun. . . up until you tried to shove flowers down my throat."

"They were in your hair, Edward. It didn't ruin your life."

"I spoke to a well-known, and respected State Alchemist with flowers in my hair!" Edward whisper-yelled. "I walked around outside and sat through a car drive with flowers in my hair! How am I supposed to hold up my reputation as a State Alchemist when everyone has seen me with a bouquet on my head?!" A wet towel hit him in the face, sticking for a moment before falling onto his lap.

"Calm down, you whiny baby." Tally grumbled and ran her fingers through her still wet hair. Her bangs were swept back and stayed back due to them being damp. "If you want something to complain about; take a cold shower."

Edward threw the towel to the floor and gave Tally a sly grin. "So, I did use up all the hot water?"

"You're a jerk for that, by the way." She argued with a weak chuckle. Tally's gaze drifted to the stiff carpet between the beds and then the damp towel between Edward's feet. His Automail foot tapped lightly against the floor and Tally's attention was brought back to him. His eyes were on her face, specifically her left side.

"What is it?"

"It still bothers you sometimes, doesn’t it.” Was his statement, vaguely gesturing to the left side of his own face.

Tally let out an exasperated sigh, hand combing through her hair to scratch at her scalp. "Yeah.” She said, fingers brushing over the jagged scar that went from the end of her left cheek bone and curved over her jaw. "I can’t stand to be in that library, the fireplace makes my skin crawl." Tally glanced toward the window and found the nightly mist rolling in. “This weather must be hell on your ports, huh?”

Edward threw himself back with a groan. “You have no idea! They itch so bad and every morning I wake up feeling like I have to puke.” He writhed atop the covers, mussing them up with his movement. “This is why I hate the city.” 

Tally could not help but chuckle at his display. “All the more reason to study hard and learn what you can tomorrow.” She jibed and Edward pouted.

Tally moved to lay back on the bed and heard Edward shift on his own. She had just closed her eyes when he spoke again.

“Tally, I hate to ask. . .” He started and she turned to face him. Edward sat cross legged on his bed, staring down at his legs as he circled a thumb over his Automail ankle. “But, was there anything you saw in the gate that might help us?”

Tally shuddered as the horrific memory was brought to the forefront of her mind and tucked her hands beneath her pillow, the cold metal hilt of her dagger helping her stay in the moment. “Edward, the answer is always going to be the same. I don’t know how we would find or create a Philosopher’s Stone. The information was fed to me so slowly that I doubt I know more than you, I was just in there for so long. . .” Tally tucked her knees to her chest, bitterly cold all of a sudden.

Edward’s eyes snapped to her, flooded with guilt. “Tally, I’m—"

“I still feel that too, y’know?” Tally interrupted, voice small and wavering. “The hands holding me still. It was so dark I thought I would never see the sun again. . . I was so sure I was going to die in there, but that _thing_ wouldn’t let me, like it was playing with its food.” Edward shuddered, remembering that he very much felt like prey under Truth’s sightless stare and unnerving grin.

“The only thing I can tell you, Ed,” Tally croaked, voice strained as if she were holding a rock in her throat. “Is to not try and get your bodies back without the Stone. You wouldn’t be alive to enjoy it.” She whimpered and hid her face in her pillow.

Edward jumped off his bed and kneeled at Tally’s side, face scrunched in worry and fierce guilt. “We won’t. We won’t, I promise. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t have asked.” He peered down at her, body curled into a fetal position and visibly trembling from the memories Edward forced her to relive. The remorse was an iron fist around his throat. “It’s just, we’ve been going nowhere since Liore and its all starting to feel kind of. . . hopeless. But we’ll keep looking; we’ll keep trying and we won’t stop until we get our bodies back. We’ll all be here for it.” Tentatively, Edward reached out a hand to place on Tally’s shoulder and the girl flinched before slowly raising her head to look at him with blank red eyes.

“I’m not going anywhere.” Edward reassured.

Tally gave a slow nod in response and moved back toward the wall, leaving ample space on the bed where Edward kneeled. A sad smile settled on Edward’s lips as he moved to lay atop the covers beside her. Tally slowly unraveled herself from the tight ball she tucked herself into and lay her head on his shoulder, arm coming up from the covers to hold his hand.

“Sorry.” She murmured.

Edward squeezed her hand tight. “Me too.”

Storm clouds rolled in overnight.

  
  



	3. Chapter Two

The next day at noon the clouds had yet to release rain and created a dark, gloomy atmosphere as the trio was dropped off at the Tucker estate. When Tally rang the doorbell, the sound of Alexander's paws nor either of the Tucker humans' footsteps greeted her.

Edward knocked on the door harshly, but Tally stopped him in fear of breaking it with his Automail fist. He was especially irritable that day, the dark clouds and the scent of rain wreaking havoc on his ports and souring his mood.

Alphonse tried the doorknob, and to their surprise, the door creaked open with ease. Alphonse peeked inside.

"Hello, Mr. Tucker? Thanks for having us again today!" He called in hopes for a reply. His own voice echoed back to greet him.

Carefully, they wandered the house and it would have been pitch black if not for the silent lightning outside. They moved through the first floor calling for Nina and Mr. Tucker, but none received a reply.

Tally moved onto the second floor and turned to the door at the end of the hallway. Light and shadows flickered beneath it and she called the brothers over. Warily, she opened the door and found a messy study behind it. Papers and notebooks piled high on every surface along with empty mugs stained with coffee. Hastily scribbled transmutation circles covered the walls, obvious attempts at innovated arrays and niche circles the teens had ever seen before. The room was warm with candlelight and the distinct dusty, metallic scent of a recent transmutation hung in the air.

Then, her eyes landed on Mr. Tucker's hunched, squatting figure with his back to them.

"Mr. Tucker?" Tally inquired quietly.

Edward and Alphonse walked pass her and into the room. "There you are. So, you are home." Edward observed. Tally followed behind slowly.

Mr. Tucker stood and turned to them and adjusted his glasses, they glinted in the light that flooded in from hallway. "Yes." A wide smile grew on his face as he motioned to a shape on the floor. "I did it. I finally did it. A chimera that understands human speech."

Thunder sounded for the first time that day and lightning flashed as if to punctuate his words. The younger alchemists looked at him in shock and awe as rain pelted the world outside. Tucker kneeled in front of, what Tally realized to be, a creature with white fur, long brown mane, and blank white eyes.

"Here, I'll show you. Listen to me," he spoke softly to the creature. "That person over there is Edward." He pointed to the young man close to him and the creature.

 _"That person. . . Ed-ward. . ."_ It copied slowly in a gravelly voice. Tally’s mouth dropped open in shock.

"That's very good. Good job!" Tucker commended and pat the creature's head. It leaned into his touch.

"That's amazing." Said Edward in awe. "It can actually talk." He kneeled in front of it as Tucker stood back and chuckled.

"Now I don't have to worry about losing my certification." He said in relief.

"Melissa, come look at this." Edward said and motioned her over.

"Just a second." She muttered distractedly, taking a step away to explore the room. As Edward and Tucker spoke, she skimmed over the tables and found notebooks sprawled open and loose papers crowded in an ineligible print. Tally moved to return to Edward’s side when a glimpse of vibrant color caught her attention. Glancing behind her to find Edward and Tucker still in conversation, Tally brushed aside a stack of array covered papers to investigate the eye-catching hue.

A small pile of wilted, multicolored flowers.

It was like a stone sunk into her gut. Tally’s skin prickled with fear and her heart raced in her chest. She was not even sure way her body chose to react this way to an innocent clump of flowers, why her mind was screaming _‘run! Run! Run! Get out!’_? It was fine. Everything was fine; Nina was somewhere in the manor and Alexander was probably tied up in the backyard. Tally was overreacting, she knew it, so she inhaled deeply to smother her instinct and turned on shaking legs to kneel beside Edward where he sat in front of the chimera.

 _"That person. . . Edward."_ It said again, it's eyes on him. Edward smiled, amazed and Tally sat in silent trepidation beside him. _"That person, Edward."_ It repeated. _"That person, Edward. That person, Edward."_ It turned its wide, blank eyes to Tally and began to smile with its frighteningly straight teeth.

_"Big Sister Melissa."_

_Oh._

Edward's smile melted away and his eyes widened in realization. The rock in Tally’s gut grew heavier.

"Mr. Tucker,” Tally started, gaze focused on the creature’s oversized paws. “When did you first get your state certification?" Her voice was low and forcefully blank.

Tucker hummed in thought with a hand to his chin. "Let's see. . . that was about two years ago." He mused.

Edward gently scratched under the chimera's chin, the creature leaned into his touch with a whimper. "And when did your wife leave you?" He asked, voice equally as monotone.

There was a weighted silence as the three teens awaited Tucker’s response. The barely there flicker of the candles and the rolling of thunder overwhelmed the cramped room in the tense quiet.

". . .That was two years ago, as well."

"I have one more question for you." Edward started. He glared at Tucker from over his shoulder, his eyes dark and fierce with barely contained rage. "Nina and Alexander; where are they?" 

Alphonse let out a shocked gasp from the other side of the room. Tucker had the audacity to look annoyed at their revelation. 

"I hate brats like you. Too damn perceptive."

Tally could not really perceive what was going on around her. She heard muffled shouting, the splintering sound of glass breaking, blood splattering the floor beside her, and the smack of skin being hit over and over. All Tally could focus on was the little girl in front of her whimpering like the animal she was transmuted with as she leaned into Tally's shoulder seeking comfort. All she could think was:

_'It's my fault. I could have done something. It's all my fault.'_

Nina moved away from her with a whine _. "Edward, no. Daddy, do you hurt? Daddy?"_

Tally, dazed and furious, finally stood and turned to see Tucker slide down the wall and onto the floor, his face bruised and bleeding. Edward with his raised Automail fist in Alphonse's grasp and blood speckling his face, clothes and white gloves. His eyes were wide and terrified as he stared at Nina's transmuted form.

Tally approached them, careful to keep her hands away from her pockets and waistband lest she draw a weapon and finish what Edward started. "You shouldn't have stopped him." She growled as she passed Alphonse. She came to a stop in front Tucker's pitiful figure.

_"Can we play now? Can we play now?"_

He lay slouched against the wall, clutching his silver pocket watch that defined his position as a State Alchemist. "I made it just in time. I get to remain a State Alchemist. I passed!" He wheezed, weak from Edward's relentless attack.

Bile bubbled up Tally’s throat and she glared down at the man in disbelief and disgust. With a sharp kick the watch flew out of his grasp and bounced across the floor, the chain broken and its face dented. Tucker crawled desperately after the item of certification, his face horrifically bruised and an arm twisted awkwardly beneath him.

"Like hell you're staying a State Alchemist. Like hell." Tally spat.

A shock of cold against her closed fist caused Tally to turn and face Nina who was nuzzling their wet nose against her hand. _"Big Sister, why you crying?"_ They asked. Tally wiped at her face and her fingers came away wet. _"You hurt, too? We can play, make it better."_

Tally’s shaking legs finally gave out and she fell to her hands and knees before the chimera. Sniffling and doing her best to hold back the sobs as anguish ravaged her not unlike the flames she had endured so long ago.

_'My fault. . . all my fault. . .'_

The chimera’s soft tongue ran against her cheek and Nina leaned in to peer closely at Tally's face. 

_"Big Sister? Can we play now?"_

Tally weakly wrapped her arms around the chimera and held them close. "Okay, Sweetie. Okay. We can play now. We can play." She choked out with a wavering smile. Her tears wet Nina's fur and Tally could barely hear Edward's helpless wails over her own.

* * *

Tally found herself beneath the tree she had transmuted flowers from the day before as military officers swarmed the Tucker estate. Alphonse, the only one who had his wits about him after the devastating realization, had called Colonel Mustang and his team and told them about the situation.

They had tried to ask Tally questions, but she was too shocked and terrified to pay attention, much less reply. Riza Hawkeye, Mustang's First Lieutenant, had escorted her to the kitchen when she noticed this, all careful smiles and pitiful glances. The woman had placed a hot cup of tea in front of her, but Tally did not touch it. Instead, she excused herself from the kitchen table and made her way to the backyard.

Tally sat in the blanket of fallen flowers beneath the tree, letting the rain that poured from the sky and through the bare branches above fall onto her face. She could not tell whether or not she was still crying as she clutched the flower crown she found in the foliage to her chest. It was wilted and had begun to crumble in her grasp.

She did not hear the footsteps or realize anyone was near her, until a soft fabric was dropped over her head. Tally looked up to see a familiar stubbled face and hazel eyes behind rectangular glasses.

"Maes?" 

Maes Hughes gave her a comforting smile as he kneeled in front of her. "Hey, Kiddo." He reached over and adjusted the hood of, what Tally realized to be, Edward's cloak on her head. "Ed said you left your coat in your room."

Tally pulled her arms through the sleeves woodenly. "Thanks." She mumbled.

Maes sighed tiredly as he sat down beside her and leaned against the dying tree trunk. "Are you gonna be alright, kid?" He asked softly.

Tally raised her knees to her chest and wrapped her arms around them. She shrugged.

"Melissa, are you going to be alright?" He repeated, his voice firm. He almost missed her small sniffle and the miniscule shake of her head.

"This shouldn't have happened." She said shakily. "We—I could have done something, and Nina would be—"

"Nina is still alive. She's just—"

"Chimeras don't live for very long." Tally erupted. "Any transmuted animal combination doesn't last very long. Give it a few months, maybe even years. It doesn't matter that she was human, something like that isn't meant to exist." She sighed, all the wind taken from her sails and bowed her head until her forehead met her knees, face pinched in pain and sorrow. "If I had known what Tucker was gonna do. . . if I had realized sooner—"

Maes placed a calming hand on her shoulder. "You can't see into the future, Melissa. If any of us could, this never would have happened." He reassured.

Tally shook her head slowly. "It's my—"

"If it's anyone's fault, it's mine." Maes usual easy-going smile turned self-deprecating. "If only I had connected the dots the first time around, huh?"

The minutes sloughed by like hours. Tally sat twisting and plucking at the flower crown from—was it really only yesterday? —the day before with Maes watching and listening carefully, in case she had anything else to say. The dark-haired man eventually stood and offered a hand to the young teen.

"Come on, we're leaving soon." Tally said nothing as she allowed him to help her up. "Hey," Maes put his hands on her shoulders and made her look at him. "Please, don't blame yourself for all of this. It's not Edward's fault, it's not alchemy's fault and it is, most certainly, not your fault, either. If you're looking for someone to blame, blame Shou Tucker. Look at me." Maes commanded when Tally's gaze moved to her feet. "Everything's gonna be fine. Alright? C'mere."

Maes gathered Tally into a hug and wrapped his arms around her shoulders. Tally wound her arms around Maes' waist with a barely withheld sob. He rubbed her shoulders as she trembled and held onto him tightly.

"You see," Maes said once they released each other. "Days like this are why I'm your Honorary Father." He smiled briefly.

 _'There aren't days like these.'_ Tally thought bitterly. _‘There should_ never _be days like these.’_

"And it's days like this that I'm glad I'm your Honorary Daughter."

Maes escorted Tally to one of the many squad cars parked in front of the Tucker estate. A small crowd had gathered outside the caution tape that crisscrossed the gate, mostly elderlies and women with children. Some watched Tally and Maes walk by with wide, curious eyes and others stared up at the Tucker house in horror.

Tally was seated beside Edward in the back of a car and with Alphonse across from them in the back-facing seat. Their driver, some officer Tally did not care to learn the name of, tore down the road following the military vehicles that had taken off before them.

Tally wiped away the remaining water and drying tears from her face with the sleeve of Edward's cloak, the already damp fabric darkening with saline.

"Sorry." Tally muttered when she realized she was ruining his cloak. She received no reply other than Edward's flesh left hand grasping hers weakly. He held on for the rest of the ride to Command.

* * *

Tally sat outside of Mustang's main office at one of the empty desks as Edward and Alphonse reported on what happened hardly an hour ago. 

Kain's desk, she remembered. His fascination with electrical technology was evident by the mess of screws and wires littered on the desktop. It probably was not a good idea for her to be seated here, soaked to the bone as she was, but Tally was too drained to bother moving to another seat. Tally lazily twirled a stray screw into the wood and a steaming mug of tea clattered onto the desk beside her.

"Here," Jean said around his cigarette. "You'll should drink this if you don't want to catch a cold."

Tally buried her head in her folded arms. "No thanks. I don't have much of an appetite." 

"Drink it." Said Breda from the other side of the room. The man sat at his own desk in front of a typewriter. "Riza said you didn't drink it earlier."

Tally sighed and sat back in Kain's rolling chair. "Fine." She mumbled and lifted the cup from the desk. She looked down into the cup and saw herself reflected back at her, but not her usual white hair and red eyes; her disguise. A brown-haired, blue eyed, be-speckled version of herself stared back, tinted dark orange. Tally had been Melissa for so long, she had nearly forgotten who was under the hair dye and glasses. God, how she wanted to be herself, because now a young, blue eyed girl stared back at her with her brown hair in twin braids. She gave a wide smile.

_"Big Sister!"_

The cup shattered against the hardwood floor.

Tally held her head in her hands with her elbows on her knees. The pieces of the broken cup lay on the floor between her feet and tea seeped into the floorboards. Her breath seethed in through her teeth and her chest ached. For several moments she sat over the spilled drink as Havoc and Breda stared on in surprise. 

The door to Mustang's office creaked open and Lt. Hawkeye peered around the room, her gaze sharp and alert. When her ocher eyes landed on Tally's hunched over form, her expression softened and she started as if to go check on her. Tally stood and left the room without a word spoken, Edward's crimson cloak fluttering around the back of her knees.

Edward and Alphonse filed out of the Colonel's office when the Lt. opened the door and caught a glimpse of Tally as she disappeared out the door. With Edward leading, they followed a few yards behind her and out onto the stone steps of Eastern Command.

The rain had lightened up since they had left the Tucker house, but fog hung heavy enough to limit Edward's sight. He nearly tripped over Tally before he saw her. She sat with her knees pulled into her chest and her face buried in her folded arms. Edward dropped onto the steps beside her, their shoulders brushing, and silently copied her position. He stared ahead blankly as Alphonse sat on the other side of him and said nothing. 

Nearly an hour later, the rain picked up again and Col. Mustang with Lt. Hawkeye exited Eastern command, taking their time down the steps the teens sat upon.

"If there ever was an example of the Devil's work in this world," The Lt. started. "This case would definitely be it."

The Col.'s brows rose slightly. "The Devil, huh? State Alchemists must be willing to act—able to take another's life without question. In some ways, Mr. Tucker's actions and our own may not be that far apart when it comes to interfering with other people's lives. We chose our own paths, knowing full well what we're doing; and that's the way it is." Mustang and his Lt. stopped in their descent on the same steps as and a few feet away from the grieving teens. "Right, Fullmetal?" When Edward gave no answer, he sighed and continued on.

"You will more than likely come across cases like this in the future." He continued. "And you may have to end up getting your own hands dirty, as well. You gonna shut down like this every time?"

Tally stood to her feet suddenly and the Col.'s gaze went from the unresponsive boy to her.

"How could you be so insensitive?" She said through gritted teeth. Her head was bowed, the shadows her hair cast hid her eyes. "Shou Tucker didn't take Nina's life—his own daughter's life—out of necessity, or self-defense. He took her life because he wanted to and nothing else. He didn't interfere with Nina's life, he ruined it and any chances she had of living. He thought he was doing something good for the sake of science, for furthering humanity’s knowledge of alchemy.” Tally chuckled mirthlessly as her hands balled into fists. “Goes to show just how blinded you can be when you think you’re doing the right thing. You have your own path and Tucker has his. Shou Tucker chose this path and he's taking it straight to Hell!" 

Tally's fierce expression crumpled as she screamed: "Curse him as a Devil all you want; 'cause it's true! But don't tell me you commend his actions because they're similar to your own."

Tally and the Col stood staring at each other with several steps separating them. Dark eyes clashed with blue and Alphonse and Hawkeye glanced between them worriedly. Finally, Mustang sighed exasperatedly and turned to continue down the steps.

"You see, Fullmetal? This is why you shouldn't bring civilians along for the ride." He commented snidely. "Now, get out of the rain before you rust."

Tally watched them leave with clenched fists and teary eyes. She and the Elrics sat in the rain for hours more, and it was not until the sky started darkening further that Alphonse suggested they go indoors. Edward reluctantly signed them in at the reception desk and the trio made their way to one of the many rooms in the guest wing of Eastern Command.

Once there, Alphonse said he had to leave and go back to the motel they stayed at before to retrieve their belongings. Edward let him go then dragged himself into one of the rooms. The door shut softly behind him.

Tally fell back on the couch in the front room and lay there, an arm slung over her eyes and the other hanging off the couch. She was soaked through from the rain and still wearing Edward's cloak. Her thoughts drifted back to the Tucker house, the words exchanged there and on the steps of Eastern Command, the voices muddled and indistinguishable.

_'Nina's still alive. . .'_

_'Must be willing to act—able to take another's life. . .'_

_'A chimera that understands human speech. . .'_

_'He ruined it and any chances she had of living. . .'_

_'We can't do anything to change you back. . .'_

_'Big Sister Melissa. . .'_

"It's my fault." Tally admitted aloud as her face grew hot with shame and tears. She turned over onto her stomach to bury her face in the cushions. "I let this happen. I'm so sorry, Nina. I'm sorry."

Alphonse soon returned with a suitcase and duffle bag in hand. 

"Tally?" Alphonse quietly called to the girl on the couch, who lay unmoving. "Are you awake?"

Tally sat up slowly and faced him. "Yeah, Al?"

The armored teen noticed her glazed, red-rimmed eyes, wet clothes and defeated expression and immediately felt bad for bothering her. "I brought your things back. You should change out of those wet clothes." He said, raising the black duffle bag to her.

Tally glanced down at herself as if noticing for the first time that her clothes were damp. She nodded tiredly and stood. Just before she made it into the bathroom, Alphonse called out to her.

"Do you think there's anything we can do for Nina, now?" He asked solemnly.

Tally paused and stared blankly ahead at the door in front of her. "If there was, I would have tried it. What do you think, Al?" The boy did not have an answer and was left in the front room alone.

Later in the night, Tally lay wide awake in the second bedroom. She lay spread eagle on the mattress with her arms folded behind her head. Her pajamas consisted of a thick oversized sweater and cotton shorts and though the room was cold, she lay without a blanket or sheet staring up at the ceiling.

Tally did not know how long she lay awake with thoughts of a young child and her father and pet floating through her head. Nothing could overtake the devastation of the day's events. Though she had known Nina for such a short time, but Tally had felt a connection with the child and completely responsible for her fate.

Guilt and sadness weighed upon her chest to the point where she couldn't take a proper breath. Tally curled onto her side in hopes to alleviate the pain and found her pillow soaked with tears.

 _'Pull yourself together.'_ She scolded herself. _'You’ve gone through this before.'_ With a sniff, Tally hastily wiped away her tears with the heel of her palm and sat up.

"It’s not like I’m going to sleep, anyway." She muttered.

 _". . . M-mom?"_ Came a voice from the other side of the wall. Tally looked at the wall the rooms shared as if she could see Edward through it. _"No. . . No!"_

At that, Tally launched herself off her bed and slowly made her way to the door. She had just placed her hand on the lever when-

_"Nina!"_

Tally swung her door open and leaned out. She stared at Edward's door, worry evident on her face. 

"Brother?" She heard Alphonse say. "Are you alright?" There was a moment of silence. "You were dreaming." Alphonse soothed, quick to reassure his older sibling.

Within several minutes the door opened and Alphonse stepped out. He softly shut the door behind him with a sigh, then moved over to the couch. Tally quietly tip-toed behind him and to Edward's room. She opened the door slowly, so it would not creak and shut it just as slowly behind her.

Edward's room was dark, the only light came from the moonlight filtering in from the window. Most of it was blocked by Ed's silhouette. His hair was down, and he wore only his black tank and boxer shorts to bed. He sat up in his bed, holding his Automail leg close and leaning his head onto it. 

"It hurts. Hurts. . ." He whimpered.

Of course. The rain.

Tally silently approached him and placed a hand on his shoulder. The boy tensed at her touch then looked up at her. Tally offered him a comforting smile as she sat on the edge of the bed beside him. 

"Are you alright, Ed?" She asked quietly. He did not answer her and refocused on his metal leg. Tally looked down at his leg as well with slightly furrowed brows. "Move over." She said after a few moments. Edward continued to stare blankly. "Move." 

Edward slowly moved to his right as Tally joined him on the bed and they both leaned against the headboard. It felt like some disturbed mimicry of the previous night; Edward crowding into bed with Tally as she shook with memories of the Gate and Truth. It was not often that this happened, lying beside each other when nightmares kept them up; though, it was more common in the beginning of their friendship when they were unused to another person to work with and rely on. When they would spend the night in silence, backs turned to one another as they waited for the other to fall asleep until the deprivation caught up to them and their dreams ran rampant. The nights would be spent recalling of the time before their respective Transmutations until they fell asleep again, piled over each other. 

The beds of the Command Centers were small and far less comfortable than motel beds whose jobs were to coax lodgers to return. The bed was meant for one person and, even with Edward pressed against the wall, the teens were still shoulder-to-shoulder and hip-to-hip.

"Do you want to tell me about it?"

". . . Not really."

Tally shrugged. "Fair enough." She sighed and slid down onto the mattress. Edward lay down as well and turned his back to her and Tally folded her hands over her stomach.

They lay in silence, not speaking and too ruffled by the day’s events to bother sleeping. Edward entwined and untangled his flesh and his Automail hands and Tally watched the ceiling fan spin and creak. It was over an hour before either spoke.

"It was just a memory, at first. I’d. . . transmuted a gift for my mother in our garden, but. . . she turned into that. . . _monster_ Al and I created.” Edward stammered out. “’Why couldn’t you p-put me back together?’ she said. . . Then Nina and Alexander, they—” Edward cut himself off with a choked sob. With his back still turned to Tally, he wiped his eyes and apologized. Tally wrapped her arms around Edward's waist from behind and curled herself around him.

"It's alright." Tally whispered. "If I had slept, I probably would have had a similar dream." Edward turned over in her hold, and Tally saw for the first time that his eyes were red-rimmed and lined with tears. She drew his face onto her shoulder and Edward, tentatively, wrapped his chilled Automail arm around her back. "I'm sorry, Edward." Tally said against the crown of his head.

"What do you think they’re gonna do to her?" Edward asked after they lay quietly for several minutes. Their legs were entangled, Tally's fingers in Edward's hair and his face buried in the crook of her neck.

Tally frowned over the top of his head as she distractedly smoothed out his hair over the pillow. "All we can do is hope she'll be okay, that we find the Stone, and fix what he did to her."

Anger suddenly overpowered Edward and his Automail fingers clutched onto the back of Tally's sweater. "That won't happen, thanks to Tucker. The bastard. . ." He continued to mutter angrily, and Tally moved slightly away from him. Edward scrambled to bring her back, though she still remained within his reach.

She offered him a small smile once their eyes met. "There's only so much we can do right now. Maybe we can ask about it in the morning?" Tally suggested and lay her head on the pillow. Edward followed, hid his face in the crook of her neck once again.

“Maybe. . . but our part in this is over. I doubt they’ll tell us anything now.” Edward grimaced. He wriggled around restlessly until Tally’s hand found its way into his hair once more.

Tally huffed; a touch annoyed at his dismay. “Like we’ll let that stop us.” An amused breath fell against her collar before Edward could hold it back.

“Thanks.” He murmured, on his way to unconsciousness once more.

Tally spared a glance down at Edward. His eyes were beginning to flutter shut, Pale gold lashes brushing the tops of rounded cheeks dotted with sunspots. His dark brows were still furrowed in his relaxed state and Tally unthinkingly pressed her thumb between them to smooth out the forming wrinkle. The corner of Edward’s lips quirked upwards and fell back just as quickly as he slipped into sleep. Still running her fingers through his silken strands, Tally maneuvered herself into a more comfortable position.

 _'We will get through this somehow.'_ Tally thought, watching Edward’s eyelids flicker as her own weighed heavier and heavier.

_'Someday.'_

Rain continued to pour throughout the night.

* * *

  
  


The next morning the pair were up early and, before they had even eaten breakfast, all three were wandering the halls of Eastern Command, Edward leading with a destination in mind. 

He had earlier said that they would leave the compound, so he had his cloak on and Tally had back her oversized black trench coat. On the person it was meant for, the coat would have reached mid-calf, but on Tally the coat brushed her ankles. 

They stopped in front of one of many office doors, none of which Tally bothered to memorize like Edward had after coming in and out of this place for over two years. The boy raised his hand to knock but paused for a long moment. He lowered his hand and Tally and Al watched as his eyes turned to the ground and he backed away from the door. It swung open and Lt. Hawkeye stepped out with files held to her chest.

"What's the matter, you three?" She asked. "You're up awfully early."

". . . We need to know," Edward began. "What's gonna happen to Tucker and Nina?"

The Lt.’s brows rose in surprise at his question and she glanced down at the files in her hands. "Mr. Tucker was scheduled to be stripped of his certification and stand trial for what he did to Nina, but they're both dead."

Edward and Tally gasped. Tally stumbled back against Al with her hands clasped over her mouth and Alphonse held her steady. "Dead?" He asked in disbelief.

Hawkeye shut the open door behind her and turned from the trio to walk down the hall. They followed her. "You would have found out anyway, so I might as well tell you: they've been murdered."

At this Edward stomped ahead of Alphonse and Tally to walk beside the woman. "How? By who?" He asked, enraged.

The Lt. led them to the front entrance of Command where she adjusted her uniform to put on her coat. "We don't know. I was just heading over to the scene now."

"We're coming with you." Alphonse said, his arm around the shoulders of a grieving Tally.

"No."

"Why not?" Edward argued.

The marksman stopped to address him, eyes hard and cold. "You don't need to see this." She said firmly and left the building.

The trio stood in silence at her exit, then Tally ripped herself from Alphonse's hold, crossed the foyer, and rushed out the door.

"Hey, wait." Edward said and moved to follow her. "We can't-" He nearly walked into Tally's back when she stopped abruptly at the top of the stairs leading to the sidewalk. They watched as Lt. Hawkeye entered the back of a squad car and drove away in the direction of the Tucker estate. Tally took the steps two at a time at a brisk pace until she reached ground level and turned in the opposite direction.

"We should keep an eye on her." Edward said quietly and followed Tally out into the drizzling rain. 

_'She's dead. She's dead. Of course she is._ ' Tally thought as she picked up pace through the rain. _'I may as well have murdered her myself!'_ She began to run mindlessly, in any direction, as far from the image of a broken and bloody Nina Tucker in her mind as she could. The Elrics struggled to keep her in sight.

"Tally, wait! Stop!" Edward called after her, booted feet stomping into puddles and an arm outstretched to reach her.

Tally's knees wobbled, her legs like jelly beneath her and she could no longer find it in herself to move. She stumbled to a stop and leaned heavily against a lamp post, panting for breath and her fingers curled against the metal. The rain did not do much to mask the hot tears rolling down her face. It streamed down her face, mixing with her tears, setting her glasses askew, her dark brown hair stuck to her face in wet strands, and her face was blotchy. Tally turned from the post and squatted on the ground with her face hidden in her folded arms. When she brought her head back up, Edward stood before her with Alphonse not too far behind, breathing heavily and soaked with rain.

"What were you thinking?" Edward huffed. "We can't even see out here and you-"

Tally cut him off by standing up and throwing her arms around him, crushing him to her. Edward stood still, shocked, his chin tucked painfully into her shoulder and his arms hanging limply at his sides. He could feel every shiver and shudder she made, the anchoring squeezes to his shoulders, her gasps and quiet sobs, and it almost brought tears to his eyes. Instead of joining her in shedding tears, Edward wrapped his arms around Tally and pulled her closer and soothingly ran his left hand along her back.

"She was only a little girl. . ." Tally whispered brokenly against Edward's ear. "Why did this happen to her?"

Edward willed away the lump in his throat and turned Tally away from the topic of Nina. "You're freezing. We should get out of the rain." Her only reply was to pull him closer.

Alphonse's heavy footsteps edged closer. "Tally. . .?" 

The young girl heaved one last sob into Edward's shoulder before pulling away. She rubbed the heel of her palms to her eyes, removing her glasses and sweeping her hair behind her ears to do so. "I'm sorry, guys." She sniffled. "I d-don't mean to c-cry s-so much." Tally turned from them to hide her face in her hands.

"I don't think I've ever seen you like this, Tally." Alphonse mused as he moved to lean against the post beside her. "It's okay to cry, I would too if I could. Something like this has never happened before."

" _To you_ . Has never happened to _you._ " 

The brothers shared a solemn glance, then turned their gazes to Tally who had her scarlet stare focused on her feet. She glanced over at Edward and he almost startled at her piercing gaze. He had nearly forgotten how red her eyes were, the color was often hidden by her glasses. 

Edward took her hand wordlessly and led Tally and his brother down the street and farther away from the looming palace that was Central Command. Tally held on loosely, though her grip tightened as the minuets passed and Edward brought them to the main street plaza. Tally did not care much, it was empty anyway. Steps led up to a statue of a triumphantly posing man situated in front of a miniature clock tower in the center.

They sat in saddened silence as rain continued to pour around them, relentlessly drenching their skin, clothes, and hair and tapping against Alphonse's armor. Tally stood on the highest step leading up to the statue and leaned on the tall concrete block holding the man up, she stared down at the puddles forming on the ground, glasses folded over the neck of her shirt. Edward sat hunched over on a step and let his feet hang a foot or so off the ground. He opened and closed his mouth as if meaning to say something then changing his mind, over and over again. Tally noticed his indecision but chose not to say anything and instead waited for him to speak up and break the heavy silence.

Edward sighed. "I've been thinking about this for a long time. We put all our trust into alchemy, but in the end, what is it? _'Alchemy is the science of understanding the flow of matter and its laws - the process of comprehension, deconstruction, and reconstruction. If the world flows too, it must also follow the laws. Everything circulates. Even death is part of that circulation. We must accept the flow.'"_ He muttered all of this, as if speaking to himself and not realizing that his brother and friend were right beside him.

Tally's gaze slid over to him, dark brows raised. "Straight out of a textbook. Who beat that into your head?" 

He gave her a small smile. "Our teacher. She really drummed that into us, didn't she?" Edward pondered. His eyes slipped back toward the ground as his smile faded away. "I thought I understood it, but I didn't understand anything. Mom proves that." Edward’s eyes flickered with revived memories, painful ones if his grimace was any indicator. "Now here I am again, trying desperately to figure out the impossible. I'm such a hopeless idiot. All this time and I haven't grown up a bit." Edward turned his gaze to the sky and sighed at the rain pattering lightly on his face. 

"I thought this rain would wash away some of this feeling away. . . but, every drop that hits me is even more depressing."

Alphonse's helmet creaked as he looked up at the sky, almost dark as night and heavy with rain-filled clouds. "I don't even get that much." Tally's head swiveled in his direction and Edward let out a near inaudible sigh of misery on her other side. "I can't even feel the rain hitting my face. That's something I miss. . . all the time. I wanna get my body back soon, Brother, Tally. I just want to be human again. Even if it means going against the flow of the world and trying to do the impossible." Alphonse said, sounding tearful yet hopeful and Tally could not help falling into his charm.

It might have been years, but Alphonse still had the one-track mind of a ten-year-old boy. Tally came down a few steps and placed her hand on his metal bicep. "We'll get your body back, Alphonse. We'll do everything we can to do so, and not one day; soon." Tally reassured.

Alphonse looked down at her. "And we'll help you find what you're looking for, Tally."

"Which you have yet to tell us." Ed grumbled, eyes back on the ground. 

"It’s not that important anyway." Tally said with a wan smile.

Footsteps sounded on the wet pavement, quiet and calculated until they came to a stop directly in front of them. Alphonse looked up and noticed the figure before them and nudged Tally to put on her glasses. With her glasses in place, Tally looked up to find a man in a khaki jacket and black pants with short white hair, russet skin, and sunglasses that completely obscured his eyes.

A discolored scar crossed his forehead, over his eyes, and down to his cheeks in a jagged _X._

"You, boy," his voice was low and gruff, and Tally could feel a palpable tension surrounding them. "You are the Fullmetal Alchemist, Edward Elric, correct?"

Tally edged closer to the unresponsive boy. "Ed. . ." She muttered in warning.

The scarred man took that as conformation and flexed his open palm, so it audibly cracked. Edward finally looked up as the man's hand reached for his face. Tally leaped backward on instinct and Alphonse dragged his brother back as well. Edward stumbled as he brought his hands together and tapped them on the ground. A stone wall rose between them and encased the scarred man in a box. Edward fell onto his rear.

"What the hell is going on here?" Edward cried, confusion written all over his face. 

Tally shook her head. "Not sure. But we need to get out of here." The wall closest to them chose that moment to shatter into a thousand sharp stone pieces that rained over the trio. The scarred man emerged from the cloud of dust.

Tally started back, prepared to run, but noticed that Edward was still on the ground, staring up at the scarred man with wide fearful eyes and visible tremors running through him. The man edged closer and closer as Edward simply stared. Tally's eyes flickered between them.

_'Why is he just sitting there?'_

"Get up!" Tally called, fear for his life flooding her. "Ed, what are you doing?! We've gotta run!"

The clock sounded and reverberated around the square and Tally winced as her ears rang. Though the sound finally jolted Edward out of his daze. He scrambled back and turned onto his feet. "L-let's go! Run for it!"

They dashed for the nearby flight of stairs, their feet thumping against the concrete in time with their rushed steps. The wall of the building to their left broke apart with a flurry of alchemical sparks, revealing the scarred man and upsetting the stairs.

"No, you don't." He growled and reached out for them.

The steps twisted and crumbled beneath them. Tally fell onto Alphonse's back and hung on tight as the stairs fell apart completely. Alphonse caught Edward by his foot before he could hit the ground and break his neck. Lightning shot along the ground and the remaining stairs fell to pieces beneath them, thankfully the landing was not too far from where they stood, but it was still a painful landing for Edward's knees and Tally's ankles. They quickly regained their bearings and Edward constructed a column out of the ground and propelled them into the air and away from the scarred man.

With his odd alchemical abilities, the man severed the column and sent them all back to the earth. Tally jumped off just before they hit the road, tucked, rolled, and continued to run down the hill. She looked back to see Edward and Alphonse booking it behind her and the scarred man not too far away. Tally slowed to Edward's pace.

"I'll stay back and try to slow him down!" 

Edward looked over at her, incredulous. "Are you crazy?! That guy's trying to kill us! And you can't let anyone know you’re an alchemist!"

Tally admitted to herself that her plan was rather half-baked but scoffed and came to a stop anyway. "Just keep going!" She called as the brothers turned to her, worried. She turned to face the man who still ran toward her. His brow furrowed into what she assumed to be a glare when Tally raised her fists.

"I don't have time to deal with meddling girls." The man said.

Tally simply set her stance and leaped forward to land the first punch. The man deftly dodged and dashed to her right and Tally turned to keep him in her sights. He was startlingly fast.

"Nice reflexes." Tally commented and reached around her back for her diamond-coated dagger tucked into her waistband, easily hidden by the lengths of her shirt and coat. She darted toward the man. "But I wonder if you're as fast as me!"

She cut downward, and the move would have left a nice diagonal slash across the man's torso if he had not ducked down and swiped her feet out from under her. Tally landed on her hands and threw herself back onto her feet just as the man reached his dangerous right hand out for her head. Tally arched back dramatically with a yelp and kicked his hand away. She drove the man back with her dagger.

"I do not wish to harm you, girl." The man grit out as he dodged another slash of Tally's blade meant for his head. "My business is with State Alchemists, not you."

Tally blocked one of his kicks, though the power behind it sent her skittering to her right. "Then what do you want with him, huh?!"

The man swiped for Tally's head with vigor. "I seek vengeance for my people! For my homeland!" He planted a foot on Tally's stomach to push her back and she lost her grip on her dagger, it went clattering into the gutter. The man flexed his right palm threateningly. "If you wish to make this your fight, too, so be it."

He reached out his hand. . . and a wall formed around it, his wrist trapped in place and his hand well away from touching anything.

Tally tilted her head as the man wiggled his arm around. "Yeah, okay, you’re not all there." Tally's brows furrowed as she circled the man. "What do you mean by ‘your people’? ‘Your homeland’?"

The man leveled her with a fierce glare and said nothing. Tally watched in awed horror as the wall began to crack under the force of the man's sheer strength rather than his alchemy. She turned tail and ran before he could escape.

Tally sprinted down the road and a gloved hand reached out and tugged her into an alley. Edward and Alphonse stood in the darkness, quickly reassuring her before she could throw any punches.

Tally bowed over and panted for breath. "You were right. That guy's nuts. I had to use alchemy to slow him down, but that won't do much against his strength." She explained breathlessly.

Edward blanched. "Tally, I told you not to-"

Alphonse placed a leather glove on his brother's shoulder and silenced him. "You bought us time. Thank you." Alphonse pointed over his shoulder and down the alley. "Now, let's get the heck out of here."

Before the trio could even start making their way down the alley, blue lightning lit up the wall to their right. The walls caved in with an explosion of dust and brick that sent Tally and Edward flying to land flat on their backs and Alphonse reeling backwards. An impenetrable wall of crumbling rock blocked their only escape and the scarred man stood at the other end of the alley. 

The young alchemists stood to their feet and faced the scarred man. "Who are you, anyway?!" Edward said. "Why are you after us?!"

The scarred man advanced and Tally reached back for her other dagger. "As long as there are creators like you in the world, there must also be destroyers." He stated grimly.

Edward clapped his hands and reached for a nearby deconstructed metal pipe. "Then it looks like we're gonna have to fight!" With a burst of alchemy, the pipe became a wicked cutlass. The trio readied themselves.

The scarred man grinned. "Gusty ones, aren't you?" He mused. 

They ran at him, Edward and Alphonse to the right and left, respectively, and Tally right in the middle with her dagger positioned over her right forearm in defense. Both brothers swung, missed, and Tally hung back in preparation for a counterattack.

"Too slow." The man said and placed his right hand on Alphonse's back.

An explosion, the harsh screech of torn metal, a blast of light, and all that was left of Alphonse was half a shell with a missing right leg and a gaping hole in his torso. He clattered loudly to the ground, unable to stand. Tally stared, petrified that his seal had been damaged in some way.

 _"Al!"_ Edward cried, and the horrified shout shook Tally out of her stupor. She charged at the scarred man and as did Edward, screaming insults and curses as he fought enough for himself and his brother. An ill-placed swing landed his right wrist in the grasp of the scarred man's right hand.

"You're too slow!" Sparks flashed and sent Edward rolling backwards out of the alley and into the street.

Tally darted forward as the man was distracted and landed a slice on his right shoulder. The man cried out and whirled around to face her, blood already staining his jacket.

"So are you." She ground between gritted teeth.

The man charged her this time with a fist flying her way. Tally dipped out of the way and side-stepped around him and cut along his right side as well. Tally ran at him and, unfortunately for her, this time the man was prepared. He feigned with his right hand and Tally dodged to her right, stepping into the man's kick. It knocked the wind out of her and sent Tally stumbling back and the man kept on with relentless hits and terrifying reaches of his palm. He backed Tally into the wall of rubble and shoved her into it a punch to her stomach. Their fight lasted only moments and Edward stood up in time to watch the scarred man twist Tally’s arm back and slam her face into solid rock. She crumpled to the ground, lifeless.

_"Tally!"_

She was unconscious for most of the encounter. Her body covered by Alphonse’s shambling armor, the younger brother watched as Edward offered his life in exchange for the both of them, right arm destroyed and unable to perform alchemy. The appearance of Colonel Mustang and his team brought Alphonse some hope and even more so when Tally woke during the fight between Major Armstrong and the scarred man. She stared around, eyes bleary and unfocused as Alphonse urged her to stay awake. 

"Tally! Don’t close your eyes. Come on! Say something!" Alphonse was frantic, barely moving in case he furthered the damage to his armor and fell apart atop her. Tally’s hair was slick with blood, it coated the ground beneath her head and how Alphonse wished he could hold the wound shut.

“Alph-phonse. . .?” She slurred.

Alphonse lit up. “Yes! Yes, it’s me!” Tally winced as Major Armstrong launched another projectile at the scarred man, the thundering of the transmutation jostling her brain in her skull. “It’s okay. Help is here, just stay awake. Please, please, please stay awake.” Alphonse pleaded and Tally hummed noncommittally.

 _“He’s an Ishvalan!”_ Came the sudden voice of Colonel Mustang and her eyes snapped to the Flame Alchemist. He glared down the murderer in the street and as Tally’s slow-moving mind processed the what he said her eyes flashed with recognition.

 _‘Oh,’_ Alphonse recalled. _‘Tally is. . .’_ He spared a glance at her as she turned her head away from the fight in the street to stare down the alley, face drawn with exhaustion.

An explosion rocked the street and Alphonse moved to cover Tally as the ground shifted and the scarred man escaped into the sewers. The officers around them scattered to find him and clear the area and Edward came rushing over, holding his open port to shield it from the rain.

“Alphonse! Ta—” The young alchemist cut himself off from saying Tally’s name aloud what with the military wandering about and lowered his voice to a whisper. “Are you guys alright? Talk to me, Al.” He implored. Alphonse’s head turned to him with a sharp creak and Edward lurched back at the anger shining from within the armor.

“Brother. . . what on earth were you thinking?!” Alphonse shrieked. “I can’t believe you’d be so stupid! Why didn’t you run when I told you too?!”

Edward blinked, bewildered. “I-I couldn’t just leave you here. . .”

“So you’d rather die in front of us?! _That’s what I mean by stupid!”_ Alphonse listed forward, a leather hand curling into a fist on the ground. “I – grr, I could hit you right now! But, I can’t because Tally—Tally is – she,”

Both brothers looked down at the girl hidden beneath Alphonse’s armor and Edward blanched at the blood coating the concrete. Tally’s sun-kissed skin was washed out, her chest rose and fell with shallow breaths as her eyelids fluttered. Bits of metal from Alphonse’s armor had fallen onto her clothes and hair and deep bruises were beginning to form on her forearms.

“H-help!” Edward cried. “Medic! We need a medic over here!”

Heavy footsteps came close. "Your friend there, what happened to her?" Said a deep and regal voice muffled by a ridiculous mustache. Major Armstrong loomed over them, skin coated in dust and sweat.

“She got caught up in the fight.” Alphonse chimed in as Edward helped maneuver him off their friend. “That man beat her pretty bad and knocked her out. I think she’s concussed.”

“Seriously?” Edward fretted and Alphonse glared at him.

“I’m not done with you yet.” He warned.

"Worry not; she will be well taken care of at the Eastern Command infirmary." Armstrong soothed and waved the paramedics over. The military was well prepared for the worst-case scenario if they had ambulances follow them to the Elrics’ location.

Tally was quickly stabilized and placed onto a stretcher. She whimpered as a neck brace closed around her throat. Her eyes struggled to open and, thankfully, her glasses were still in place.

“Ed. . . Edward? Alphonse?”

"Ta - Melissa!" Edward called frantically, stuttering through her false name as he chased the stretcher into the street. Alphonse moved to follow, but his arm fell off before he could make much headway “I’m here! We’re here, we’re okay.”

"Okay?" She managed through the haze and the pain. “We’re okay?”

Edward offered a shaky grin. “We always are.”

* * *

When Tally awoke once more it was to the sight of a grim-faced woman diligently wrapping bandages around her chest and across her left shoulder. The woman said nothing, not even noticing Tally had awakened, as she glanced around. White ceiling, white walls, the overwhelming scent of formaldehyde, and the quiet drip of the IV beside her; a hospital.

Her head was pounding, a painful throb in her temples, behind her nose, and eyes. Her tongue was heavy and dry at the bottom of her mouth, she could barely breathe, ached about everyplace possible and, to make matters worse, her left arm was numb. Tally turned her head to the side to watch the billowing curtains, also white, and moaned at the tight throb of pain that raced through her chest.

"Don't move too much, dear." The nurse instructed quietly. "You've some pretty bad bruises and lacerations, so be careful." The nurse cut and tied off the bandage and placed what was left of the roll and the scissors on a metal tray, then brought a sling into Tally's line of sight. It was a bit of a hassle to fit it over her head and maneuver her arm into it, but they managed. 

Tally spied a small tub of ointment on the tray as well which the nurse then moved to the wood of the bedside table. "For your bruises." She said.

"Thanks." Tally croaked, throat a little dry. "Is anything broken?"

The nurse smiled. "Well, you'd feel it, wouldn't you?" The nurse's eyes moved to meet her own and Tally quickly averted her gaze to the thin white blanket covering her from the waist down.

"Uh, m-my glasses. Where are they?" Tally asked timidly.

The nurse reached over to the further end of the bedside table and brought forth her glasses. "They're a bit broken, but-" 

"That's fine." Tally said quickly and snatched them away. She noted the crack in the right lens and decided to fix that later rather than openly perform alchemy in front of the nurse.

The nurse sighed. "You've got a nasty bump on the crown of your head and you were hit in just the right place to fall unconscious, but thankfully your concussion is fairly mild. Your left side and arms are heavily bruised, so I’d take the time to rest if I were you." The nurse rambled off as she piled supplies onto the metal tray. "Your left shoulder was dislocated and had to be snapped back into place. The tendons and muscle there are enflamed, so you must keep it in the sling for the next two weeks at least." The nurse pat her knee and stood with the tray in hand. "I'll be going now, and I want you to put that ointment on your bruises every morning and night. Got it?"

Tally nodded. "Yes."

The nurse paused at the door. "And, young lady, I won't tell anyone about your eyes if you don't want me to."

A breath struggled its way into and out of Tally's lungs. ". . . T-thank you. Really."

The nurse smiled kindly over her shoulder and finally left Tally alone in the hospital room. Tally slowly raised herself on the bed and piled the few pillows behind her to sit up properly. Her arms and ribs screamed their disapproval, but she found a comfortable position curled on her right side facing the window. 

The sun was out. It shined all too brightly down on the white towers of Central Command, blinding Tally further. The clouds that had been around for the past two days had finally dispersed and left the skies clear, the ground and roads still recovering from the overwhelming amounts of rainwater. 

Tally could almost convince herself that the murders and attack had never happened.

That she was in the motel room with Edward next door and Alphonse on the couch, and she was looking out the window of her room.

That the scent of formaldehyde did not exist and that she was not covered in bandages and bruises.

Tally could almost convince herself that Nina Tucker was a figment of her imagination.

But, of course her mind was not that kind. The events of the past two, horrible days played in her head over and over. Her tears, Edward’s tears, Alphonse's tearless sobs, and the soulless Shou Tucker and scarred man. She had spent several days too many in Central City and all that she had done was create heartbreak and endless stress.

Tally still wondered if it was a good idea to stay with the Elric brothers. If she would have caused as much trouble on her own as she did with them. If not for Edward and Alphonse, Tally would be in prison or dead in a back alley somewhere. And if not for the three of them, dozens more people would be dead or in despair. She wonders if she contributed to any of their accomplishments.

Tally squeezed her eyes shut. _'There's no point in thinking like that.'_ She warned herself. _'I might have been more of a nuisance, but that doesn't mean I'm useless. Think of something else; anything else. Justice for Nina, she deserved so much more than what her father had done to her and being murdered.'_

That man needed to be stopped. If not for herself, then for the sake of every other innocent person in Amestris and the State Alchemists he was targeting. Stopped for the sake of Edward and Alphonse, who were just trying to get their bodies back.

Tally curled up tight, her knees brushing her chin. "I'll stop him. Any way I can."

What could have been hours or just minutes later, there came a knock at Tally's room door. "Tally, are you in there?" A familiar voice called. "The nurses better not have given me the wrong room on purpose. . ."

Tally sat up on her bed as quickly as she could handle. "Edward?" She carefully rolled over to the other side of the bed as the door opened and a blond head peeked in. The boy's expression flickered from worry to surprise before he settled on a wry grin.

"Well, it seems you're the only one in one piece, huh?" Edward attempted to joke, but only achieved in making the line in his friend's brow deepen.

Tally swung her legs over the bed as Edward moved to sit beside her. "Are you okay, Ed? Your arm. . ." She whispered and reached around him for his right shoulder, but her hand fell to his side instead. She pulled back just as Edward grabbed for her hand with his remaining one and held them both in his lap.

". . . Back there, I thought you had died." Edward admitted shakily and entwined their fingers, gold colliding with bronze. "I thought that man had killed you and, once again, I couldn't do anything about it. I had lost you and Al, all in one day. I couldn't take it." Edward was gripping her hand too hard but Tally just rubbed circles onto the back of his hand in hopes to relax and remind Edward that she was there beside him, with him every step of the way.

"I was ready to give myself up." His voice was so quiet, Tally had to lean in close and strain to hear him. "I was gonna let him kill me too."

Tally snatched her hand away, all warmth seeping from her body at the weight in Edward's words. "You what? Why would you do that, Ed?" Tally moved to kneel beside him, feet crossed on her pillows and palms pressed into the thin cot. "What about Alphonse? You would have left him like that without you? And what about me?” Her mouth ran off without her, filter completely gone as her brain found its way out her mouth. “Without you I don’t know what I’d do. The military would arrest me, Ed! Who knows what they would do to your brother! They’d take him apart like some sort of science experiment!"

"I know that, Tally!" Edward exploded, and Tally tensed. "I get it, alright?! ‘My life matters and I need to keep living to help more people’ and blah, blah, blah! Al already beat me up over it." Edward grumbled and stubbornly turned his head away, blond braid whipping over his shoulder with the movement.

“It’s all on me to keep the both of you safe. I know, okay? _I know._ ” Edward heaved a world-weary sigh. “I-I’m trying, I’m doing everything I can to keep Al’s secret safe. To keep you hidden. But, back there? Back there with that man, I realized I had an out. I thought everything was over, that you and Al were found out and – and all I could think was _‘this is it. It was all worth nothing. I couldn’t get our bodies back. I can’t even keep the people I care about safe.’_ ” It took too much effort for Edward to force those words out. “I was useless to you.”

Tally stared at his back, posture hunched and defeated. As well as Tally thought she knew him, Edward at times was a complete stranger. She had not really met the Edward who was careful to keep her safe even when she was not around, the one who worked so hard to keep her and Alphonse’s secrets not for his sake, but for theirs. He put up such a brave front that sometimes she forgot there was a 15-year-old boy struggling with endless responsibilities behind the careless grin. Tally wished she had realized the true weight on his shoulders a long time ago, wished she helped him bear it.

“You are worth something. Isn’t that why we live? The law of equivalent exchange?” Tally offered softly. “If you had. . . had died, all that potential—your worth—would have gone to waste. There is no equivalent for your life, Ed. Not to Alphonse and not to me. Your usefulness isn’t based on the secrets you keep for us or the sum of your parts, it’s just you. Even if you lived for nothing and nobody, you’d still mean everything to us, Ed. Don’t worry about keeping me and Alphonse safe, or keeping our secrets. Just live and let me do the rest.” She pleaded gently.

Silence prevailed for several long moments before Tally tentatively took up Edward's clenched fist from between them. She massaged from his wrist to his palm to ease his fingers open.

"All I ask is that you never do that ever again.” Tally demanded firmly. "You can't give up without doing everything you wanted to do. So, promise me –” Tally swallowed around the lump in her throat and leaned her head on her friend's shoulder. "Please don't give up." She choked out.

Edward untangled their hands to place his on the crown of Tally's head, gently rubbing the dark, shoulder length strands. "I won't. I promise." He leaned his head onto Tally's, comforting her in that quiet stubborn way of his. “But, I can’t leave everything up to you. We work together. We’ll accomplish everything we set out to, _together_ ; until it’s all over.” Edward vowed softly.

Tally nodded silently, reluctant to make a sound in case she burst into tears and settled for gripping his knee with a white-knuckled hold and not letting go for anything. Edward continued to caress Tally’s hair, gently twirling the dyed strands around his fingers then smoothing it back down. Repeating the action until Tally relaxed her grip and leaned into him. By God was she tired; Tally might have just awakened but her injuries and the stress of the past few days were truly bogging her down. But Edward was there and she would not waste his company by sleeping.

"I came here to tell you something, actually." Edward said, still with their heads pressed together. "Before we get back on the road, we have to stop somewhere and get my arm fixed up."

Tally hummed meekly in question, reluctant to speak.

"We need to pay a visit to my mechanic back in Resembool."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Almost two days late! Sorry! This won't be like my other work, promise promise Promise!


	4. Chapter Three

The train station was crowded with overdressed and weary bodies aching or dreading to leave. Melissa watched a young child get dragged along by his bone-tired mother into a terminal, wailing and kicking, claiming he did not want to go to his grandmother's house because "she smells like cats."

"Are you children excited to return home?" Armstrong asked. He was carrying Alphonse on his shoulder in a big crate. Melissa had fretted over Alphonse when she saw him again after the fight with the scarred man with pieces of himself at the bottom of the crate and his Bloodseal nearly damaged. Alphonse rushed to reassure her that he would be alright and back together again once Edward got his Automail arm back.

"Excited as I can be." Edward said lowly.

"Aren't you happy we’re going to see Winry again, brother?" Alphonse asked from atop Armstrong's shoulder; his tinny voice echoing in the crate was enough to make Melissa smile up at him.

Edward choked. "O-of course not!" He turned from them indignantly, ears an obvious pink. "I'll be happy to get my arm back without her nagging the whole time."

"Is Winry your mechanic, Edward?" Melissa leaned down to ask.

Edward rolled his eyes up to the sky. "I guess you could say that. Al and I grew up with her, she's our best friend." Edward's gaze turned thoughtful and a little sad. "Or she was. We haven't spoken in so long, I don't know where we stand anymore."

Melissa reared back and slugged him in the arm. "How is it that I've known you for this long and didn't know that, Edward?!" She yelped.

"Ow! Why'd you hit me so hard? This is the only arm I've got left!"

The conductor called for new passengers and all Edward had to do was flash his pocket watch to get on. Melissa was allowed on with him and Armstrong moved to the back of the train to place Alphonse somewhere. Just like the station, the train car was packed to the brim with most seats taken.

"I call the window seat!" Melissa rushed to an empty booth.

"Hey! No fair, you always take the good seats!" Edward whined and dropped into the space beside her. "I'd sit on the other side, but I don't wanna get crushed by Major Meat Head."

Melissa elbowed Edward in the side. "Behave. He's just doing his job."

Edward scoffed and turned from her to sulk. "If he wasn't here you could perform alchemy." He ground out.

"So, you'd leave it up to me to keep you and your brother safe from Scar?” She asked incredulously, gesturing to her left arm wrapped in a sling. “Don’t you remember that he nearly killed me last time? You're damn near useless without your arm and Alphonse can't do much either." Melissa argued. Her injury was not the most comfortable thing in the world, but definitely not the worst she ever received. Still, the sling was inconvenient to wear: she had to leave her white shirt unbuttoned and her left arm out of the sleeve, so her shirt kept slipping down her shoulder, and her washed-out red tank was on full display. She couldn’t even wear her coat. Though, she had significantly less to complain about than Edward, who still managed to keep his outfit neat with the lack of right arm.

Edward whirled around, brows furrowed, and lips set in a snarl. "Don't say that! I doubt we'll run into Scar anyway!"

"What are you children bickering about, now?" Said Armstrong, heavy footsteps shaking the carriage before he settled onto the bench across from the teens. “I thought you two would be in better spirits, returning to the East.”

Melissa turned toward the window with a huff. “Yeah. _Ecstatic.”_ She drawled. Edward turned to face the aisle, disgruntled pout set firmly in place.

Truthfully, Melissa was reluctant to return to the Eastern Sector. She had not been there in so long, she had almost forgotten that it was where she was from. Yes, Melissa remembered her family house, her mother and father, and parts of their lives there, but remembering home often brought pain. Edward and Alphonse helped; learning they were from the Eastern Sector as well aided her in focusing on the few happy memories based there. Oftentimes the only thing she could recall was the crushing fear for her life.

There was a tap on Melissa’s window and she and Edward turned to find Lt. Colonel Maes Hughes waving at them. Melissa rushed to pull the window down and leaned halfway out the carriage to greet him. “Hey, Maes!” She chirped.

“Hey, Kiddo.” Maes chuckled, tousled Melissa’s hair and playfully pushed her back inside the train car.

“What are you doing here?” Edward asked, not unkindly as he stood on his toes to see the Lt. Colonel over Melissa’s shoulder.

“Well,” Hughes sighed. “The schmucks at Command say they’re too busy to see you off, so I came in their stead. I know it’s not the going away party you were hoping for.” He smirked and Edward rolled his eyes. “Also, I’ve got a message from Roy.”

Edward threw his head back with a groan. “Oh, great. What does Col. Mustard want?”

Melissa snorted and nudged Edward with her elbow. “You know, as your supervising officer, it is Major Armstrong’s job to report your behavior back to Mustang, right?” Edward sputtered and turned to the Major who peered at him over the top of the book he brought along, a playful glint in his narrowed eyes.

Maes cleared his throat in a half-hearted attempt to hide his own laugh. “Anyways, ‘I won’t allow you three to die in my jurisdiction because it’d be a pain in the ass to clean up.’ Is what he said.” He relayed succinctly.

Edward’s right eyebrow twitched as he took in the message. “Oh, yeah? Well, tell him ‘I’d never die before you, Col.. You shit idiot.’”

Maes and Melissa burst into hooting laughter as Edward smirked to himself at their reactions. Major Armstrong sputtered and waved a hand as if to fan his face. “Well! I say!” He bellowed.

“You know,” Maes started, laughter finally under control, “they say the ruder you are the longer you live? If that’s the case, you and Roy are gonna live forever!” He grinned.

The train whistled and the conductor began closing the doors and ushering people into their seats. Maes stepped back as the train began chugging forward and snapped his right hand to his temple in a neat salute. “Good luck on your travels. And let me know if you’re ever out in central.”

Edward and Major Armstrong returned the salute, but Melissa leaned out the window once more to call out. “Say ‘hi’ to Elicia for me!” Maes' face brightened at the mention of his daughter and he raised his hand to wave them off gleefully.

“Great, now he’s never gonna shut up about her the next time we see him.” Edward whined as Melissa closed the window.

Melissa sat beside him again with a sly smile. “What? Maes makes such a cute dad and Elicia makes him happy.” Edward grunted in reply and threw all his weight on her shoulder as he settled in for the train ride.

About an hour outside of East City Armstrong put away his novel and sighed, ruffling the neatly groomed hairs of his mustache. “Madam Tyson, your home was in Resembool as well, right?”

“Yeah?”

“What was it like growing up in the countryside with the Elric brothers? Edward is reluctant to tell me anything of his childhood, so I hope you may be more open to reminiscing.”

“’Cause it’s none of your damned business, that’s why.” Edward sulked, and Melissa jabbed him in his side.

Melissa cradled her free hand in her lap and sighed weightlessly. “Well, to be honest, I hadn’t lived in Resembool for very long. Only until I was about four before my family and I fled West to escape the Conflict.”

Armstrong shifted uncomfortably. “I see. . .”

Melissa smiled placidly. “I knew Ed and Al through school; we had class together, but we weren’t really close. I kept to myself a lot and my mom would always talk my ear off about not making friends, but I was happy with my paper dolls and books, y’know? I was surprised to see them in Central, even more so that they recognized me.” She lied easily. 

The girl hummed thoughtfully, and the trio sat in wait as she choose what to say next. “Resembool is beautiful. Clear skies, kind people, nothing but grassland for miles. I do miss it sometimes. My parents and I lived in a small house close to the border between Resembool and Ishval. Mom ran a little flower stand out of the side of the house with what she grew in our backyard and Father was a high school teacher who dabbled in alchemy.” Edward smiled, knowing this part to be true as she brought it up most nights they spent wide awake.

“I would take a wagon into town filled with Mom’s latest blooms to sell. People fell over themselves buying the newest flowers, and the stall and wagon would sell out quickly. I like to think it was because I was a cute kid.” Melissa giggled, swinging her feet over the floor. 

“He sounds like a talented alchemist, and your mother seems a lovely woman.” Armstrong said, and Melissa beamed.

“Yeah, he taught me some of his work, but I’m by no means a talented alchemist.” Melissa chuckled, playing into her alchemical incompetence.

“Madam Tyson, if I may, what caused you to leave your home in the Western Sector?” Armstrong pried and Melissa’s eyes darted between him and the floor.

She shrugged haplessly, fiddling with her fingers. “Some folks out there didn’t take too kindly to. . . refugees taking over their town.” Melissa stammered, her hand coming up to the left side of her face and slipping under her bangs to fret with her scar. “I had to figure that out the hard way.” Her blue eyes flickered with ancient anger.

A cold hush settled over the booth and Melissa turned to look out the window watching the land go from forests to foothills and civilization become sparse settlements. She heaved a trembling sigh and turned back to Edward and the major. “I came to Central alone and managed to make a living off of odd jobs around the city for a while before I ran into you and Alphonse. You know the rest.” She grimaced.

Edward stared haplessly, “Melissa. . .” He reached over to peel her scratching hand away from her hidden scar and she latched onto his hand like a vice, twining their fingers together in her lap.

“My sincerest apologies, Madam Tyson!” The major bellowed and the teens jumped a foot off the seat and away from each other. “Oh, for you to have lost so much in the Eastern Conflict! Your home! Your family! Oh, how my heart weeps for you, my dear child!” In a dramatic display of strength, Major Armstrong whipped off his coat and tore through his shirt in one smooth movement.

Flexing dauntingly the Major continued. “To live for so long on your own, so young and fragile, with no one by your side! How I wish to turn back the clock and erase these tragedies from your young life!” He began to cry, endless tears streaming down his face and into his mustache. Melissa’s hand flew to her face to conceal her growing grin. “To find lost friends in such a trying time, when they themselves are looking for a way to be whole again! Oh, the—!” 

Melissa snorted behind her hand and the Major fell silent. Her eyes blew wide. “Oh! I’m s-sorry, just—” She broke into rasping chortles, hastily trying to smother the sound with her hand.

Edward stared between her and Major Armstrong, lips rolled into his mouth to keep from joining in Melissa’s laughter. The Major, bare-chested and confused, ceased his flexing and settled back into his seat, fishing a handkerchief out of his pocket to dab at his face. Edward nudged Melissa as passengers began looking their way. “Pull yourself together, Tyson. You’re embarrassing the Major.” He teased and she finally silenced herself, fist pressed to her mouth and body turned to stare pointedly out the window.

“Ahem. Sorry.” She amended.

The Major grunted, redressing himself. “It’s quite alright, Madam Tyson. I understand that a display of the great Armstrong physique can be overwhelming for most. I take no offence with your reaction.” He assured.

Edward rubbed his nose. “Yeah, ‘overwhelming’s’ a word for it.” He muttered.

“And Edward, your brother mentioned a ‘Winry’ in Resembool?” The Major asked. “Your Automail mechanic, correct?”

Edward slouched on the bench, leaning his weight on the armrest. “Yeah. Well, to be more precise, she’s a surgeon, weaponsmith specializing in protheses, _and_ an Automail expert.” He rattled off as if these were not great accomplishments for someone his own age. Then again, Edward was a State Alchemist. “She’ll give me a discount for sure since I’ve known her for so long, and she does great work too.”

He stared down the aisle, not truly seeing the train as his eyes glazed over. “She’s talented, but there aren’t many people who can afford Automail in Resembool. It had the potential to be a bustling city like Central, but everything got destroyed in the Conflict. If only the military had been more on top of things. . .” He reflected.

“You’re making my ears itch.” Major Armstrong harrumphed.

Tense golden eyes flickered to the Major’s hulking form. “Should I say more?”

“Play nice.” Melissa snarked from the corner of her mouth.

Edward scoffed. “But, yeah. Resembool’s a quiet little town, but has a lot of things that you can’t get in the city.” He smiled wistfully. “Al’s gonna love being back home after so long.”

Melissa jumped, noticing something far too important a little too late. “Uhm, speaking of. You _did_ put Alphonse on this train, right Major?” Edward flinched and turned wide eyes on the Major.

“Of course, I did.” Armstrong scoffed. “Though, I did worry he would get lonely in the luggage car. He should make plenty of friends with the livestock.”

_“What?!”_

“You jerk! That’s worse than the luggage car!”

“I don’t see the problem! There’s plenty of room, it's inexpensive, lots of things to interact with! Albeit, wooly things. . .”

“Alphonse isn’t a _sheep!”_

* * *

  
  


The sun began to set several hours into the trip and Edward had dozed off with his head tipped back against the bench. Melissa, however, was as far from sleep as she could possibly be. The movement of the train, the near constant chatter of the passengers around her, even Edward’s almost silent snores kept her too wired to sleep. It likely would not have been a good idea to fall asleep anyway, she would hate to have a nightmare with so many to witness it.

The train rolled to a stop in a barren little station where very few people disembarked, but many more took the chance to stretch after being seated for so long. Melissa rolled her shoulders, careful not to disturb her injured arm, it ached something fierce but there was no way she was keeping that sling on for the recommended two weeks. Edward startled himself awake with a jaw-popping yawn that made Melissa wince sympathetically as he glanced around the carriage.

“We here?” He asked blearily.

Melissa snorted and motioned for him to wipe the drool off his chin. “No. This is the last stop before Resembool, though.” Edward nodded sleepily and listed to the side to land on her shoulder.

Suddenly, the Major launched himself from his seat and forcefully pulled the window open, nearly crushing the teens in his rush.

“What the—”

 _“Dr. Marcoh!”_ He boomed. Melissa and Edward tried to catch a glimpse of who the Major was yelling at around his hulking figure. “It is you, isn’t it, Doctor?!” A man in his senior years turned to search for whoever called him and blanched at Armstrong nearly hanging out of the train window. “It’s me! Alex Louis Armstrong! From Central!”

The man, Dr. Marcoh, turned tail and ran off the platform with a briefcase tucked to his chest.

The three stared after the man in shock, not at all expecting such an adverse reaction to the Major’s presence.

“Uh. . . Do you know him?” Edward drawled.

Armstrong nodded tersely. “Yes. He’s a skilled alchemist who was part of the Alchemy Research Department in Central.” He glanced at the teens beside him and was shocked to find Edwards’s sharp gaze focused on him. “He was studying the use of alchemy for medical purposes but had up and vanished during the Eastern Conflict.”

Melissa watched as a near manic light overtook Edward’s eyes with every word out of the Major’s mouth. He was already hooked at “skilled alchemist”, but with “medical purposes” Edward began gathering his things to leave.

“Let’s get off here!” He said, almost out of the train car already.

Melissa stared after Edward, understanding his urgency, but still reluctant to follow. Knowing their luck, they were more likely to get shot than receive any answers. “Wait a second—”

“Aren’t we supposed to get off at Resembool?” Said the Major, moving to follow the young alchemist anyway.

“If that kind of research was his specialty, he must know something about biological transmutation!” He careened out of the car with Melissa and Armstrong following close behind, luggage in hand.

Once they retrieved Alphonse from the livestock car, the group made their way through the tiny town with a sketch of Dr. Marcoh in hand. Though the residents they came across recalled him as Dr. Maro, a man who healed all ailments in a flash of light free of charge. It made sense for the man to go by a different name, but Edward and Melissa could not help but roll their eyes at how similar it was to his actual name. They would know a thing or two about hiding in plain sight. 

With Melissa’s arm in a sling, it was easy to request directions for the man’s home under the guise of injury. Dr. Marcoh’s home was a small clay and brick cottage, not unlike most houses this far East. Fairly inconspicuous for a countryside fugitive.

“I wonder what he is hiding from.” Armstrong thought aloud as they crested the hill leading to the doctor’s home. Alphonse sat in the crate atop the Major’s shoulder, who carried him along with ease as Edward and Melissa carried a suitcase each. “Supposedly, when the doctor vanished, some of the top-secret research data disappeared alongside him. It’s not hard to conclude that he stole it and ran. . . perhaps he thought we were sent to retrieve him.”

At Dr. Marcoh’s door they paused looking between each other, waiting for one to knock first. As Edward raised his fist Melissa stopped him. “Wait. Maybe I should do it.” She suggested softly.

Edward turned to her, fist still poised over the door. “What for? It was my idea to come here.”

She shrugged in conceit. “Yeah, but I look the most injured. If he really thinks you, the famous Fullmetal and Strong-Arm Alchemists, are here to take him back, he wouldn’t even open the door. No one knows who I am; I could just be someone passing through looking for help.”

“Melissa,” Edward started.

“It makes sense, Edward.” Came Armstrong’s hushed voice and Melissa turned to him, honestly surprised that he agreed with her. “She appears more helpless than you or I and, with her docile disposition, Dr. Marcoh would be more inclined to help her.”

Edward rose a brow at the Major, doubt in his plan written all over his face. “’Docile’?”

Melissa, more appalled at the man’s description of her than anything, stepped up to him. “’Helpless’?” She seethed then scoffed in the massive man’s face, handing off her suitcase to him. “Wait down the stairs.” Determination darkened the girl’s features and the alchemists fled down the stairs and hid around the corner of the house.

Melissa breathed deep to calm herself from the Major’s back-handed compliment and knocked on the doctor’s door. “Hello? I’m sorry to bother but, I’m looking for, uh, Dr. Maro?” She called through the door timidly, laying the despair on thick. “I’m really hurt, a-and I heard you could help.” Stepping back Melissa whispered to herself doubtfully. “Man, I hope I didn’t come to the wrong house. D-Dr. Maro?” She called, knocked once more and waited. After a full minute of silence from the other side, Melissa moved to leave. “S-sorry if I got the wrong house. I’ll go.”

She walked away from the door with a limp and saw Edward and the Major staring up at her from the bottom of the stairs, disbelief in her plan not working very apparent in their bodies and faces. Holding up a hand, she paused and slipped on the stairs, landing with a sharp cry. Edward moved to help her just as the front door opened and he dipped back out of view.

“Hold on! Hold on, Ma’am.” Said Dr. Marcoh, rushing to help her up from the stairs. “I’m so sorry to keep you waiting. Are you alright?” Concern further creased the wrinkles crisscrossing his face as he gently took Melissa by her uninjured arm.

 _‘A bleeding heart if I ever saw one.’_ Melissa smiled up at the old doctor. “Oh, thank you. It’s a bit hard keeping my balance with one working arm.” She chuckled lowly as she was led into his home. The front room was sparse and dark, a bookshelf leaned against the back wall and a small dining table overtook most of the space. She did not get a chance to see much as the doctor walked her quickly through the house.

“Here we are.” Dr, Marcoh gave her a strained smile as he opened one of three doors down the houses’ only hallway. A makeshift patient’s room greeted Melissa with a clean cot, a small table, several well-organized rolling trays, and a water basin in the far corner. “I hope you can forgive me for before, we don’t get many visitors in our little town.” He explained as Melissa sat upon the cot.

“I get it. I’m not all too fond of strangers knocking at my door either.” She reassured and maneuvered to sit more comfortably. “I’m Melissa, by the way.” She flashed the doctor a disarming smile as he got a tray together to examine her. 

With his back to her, Melissa could see the outline of a gun tucked into his waistband and prepared herself to take the man down once the State Alchemists came in. Dr. Marcoh was an older man, a little on the heavy side, and walked with a deep slouch—possibly from an old injury? Melissa assumed so if the pained roll of his shoulders were anything to go by. She could not help but feel a little dirty as she stalled for time, plotting ways to disarm and subdue the kind doctor as he poked and prodded her injuries to check what hurt the most. Damn, the boys were sure taking their time.

“I see that your shoulder and ribs are causing you the most trouble. At the hospital, was anything said to be broken?” Dr. Marcoh inquired.

Melissa shook her head against the cot. “No. But, I’m bruised to the bone they said.” Which was true. If the Major and Edward were going to take their sweet time, Melissa was going to get something out of this.

Dr. Marcoh nodded to himself and stood from the stool at Melissa’s side. He made his way to the medicine cabinet near the door, squatting to open a drawer and take out a small glass vial. A thick red liquid sloshed inside.

Melissa let out a nervous chuckle. “That’s not cough medicine, is it?”

Dr. Marcoh gave a short chortle. “No, no. You see, the main form of medicine I use for my patients is alchemy.” He explained slowly, like he expected her to be unfamiliar with the practice. To be fair, not very many people in the Eastern Sector knew about alchemy, even the residents of this little town did not know the doctor was an alchemist and believed him to be a miracle worker.

Melissa nodded to the vial. “And that’s. . . alchemy?” Honestly, she was pretty wary of the vibrant fluid.

Dr. Marcoh’s eyes disappeared into the wrinkles surrounding them and the guilt hit Melissa like a speeding train. “This helps me perform alchemy. I can do alchemy without it, but it helps me focus the energy needed to heal you. Just like how you can still see without your glasses, but you use them to ease the strain on your eyes and make everything clear.”

Melissa’s mouth dropped open in shock, but she quickly masked it for understanding. “Oh, I see.”

_‘Oh, my God, that’s the Stone in his hand. But why does it look like that? It’s supposed to be solid. Okay think, what else do they call it? Elixir, Tincture, Fountain of Youth, Sorcerer’s Stone. There could be as many versions of the Stone out there as there are names for it. Edward’s gonna lose his mind.’_

“If you would allow me,” The doctor continued, and Melissa forced herself back into the moment and her eyes away from the Philosopher’s Stone. “I could perform alchemy on you to heal your injuries.”

“R-really? Just like that?” Melissa asked breathlessly, winded. “W-will it hurt?”

Dr. Marcoh waved a hand at her concern. “Not at all. There will be some bright flashes of light to go along with the transmutation, but afterwards you’ll be right as rain.” He leveled her with a searching look. “Melissa, would you like me to heal you?”

Nervously, Melissa’s eyes flickered between the vial and the doctor’s jaded face. Her injuries were not unbearable but doing this would certainly help her in the long run. She would not have to wait over a month to be fully healed, sitting out any assignments Edward and Alphonse may receive in that time. She could be of use if Scar came back, protect herself, the boys. . .

“Yes, please.”

The doctor uncorked the vial and poured the Stone into his palm. Melissa almost cried out and leaned forward, ready to catch the liquid, but it congealed in his hand before she could. Mouth dropping open in shock once more – because _what the –_ Melissa almost missed the doctor’s instructions.

“If you would take off your shirt and lie flat on your back please.”

Before she had the chance to comply, the room door flew open and Major Armstrong’s intimidating form filled the open portal. “Doctor,”

Dr. Marcoh stood abruptly, the stool clattering against the floor. “Y-you!” He cried, the Stone and vial falling to the bed beside Melissa. “W-what do you want from me, huh?! What did you come here for?!”

The Major raised a placating hand. “Please, doctor, calm down.” It did little to alleviate the situation.

“You’ve come to take me back haven’t you?!” The doctor was hysterical now, gun drawn and pointed at the alchemists in the doorway. “I’ll never go back to that place! Do you hear me?!”

Edward’s eyes blew wide at the sight of the weapon. “Whoa, Doc, that’s not what we’re here for. If you could put the gun down. . .”

But Marcoh was not listening. “So, you’ve come to silence me for good?! I’ve tried to lead a good life! I-I’m helping people! This-this poor girl here, h-her bones are on the verge of breaking! Please! I’m just trying to help!”

With his attention on the men in the doorway, Melissa took the chance to rise from the bed and stand beside the doctor. “Dr. Marcoh,” She intoned, and the man turned his fearful eyes on her. “He said put the gun down.”

The doctor, body shaking and eyes wild, stepped away from Melissa. “N-no. You’re a part of this?” He whimpered and they all watched closely as his hand fell to his side. “Pl-please. I—you can’t. I—”

Melissa dared to step closer. “Doctor, we are not here to hurt you or take you anywhere. We’re just some freelance alchemists with questions we know you can answer.” Slowly she reached her hand out. “Please, put down the gun and let us explain.”

The group waited with bated breath for the doctor to drop his weapon and he did so with a weak sob. Melissa quickly kicked it away before Marcoh could change his mind and brought over the stool for him to drop onto just as his legs gave out.

* * *

  
  


“. . . I couldn’t take it anymore.” Marcoh reminisced. After doing away with the gun and the man caught his breath, Edward and Armstrong posed their questions about his research. The doctor, worn down and exhausted, quickly gave in and they moved to the table. “Having to dirty my hands researching the Stone, obeying their orders. And, even worse, seeing it used in the war to slaughter hundreds of thousands of people. . . it was horrific. All those innocent people.” He grieved.

Melissa could only avert her gaze to the table at the mention of the conflict. She never heard of the Stone’s use in it, though she supposed that would be kept top-secret for a reason. Uncoordinated Ishvalan militias up against State Alchemists with _Philosopher’s Stones?_ No wonder the outcome was a bloodbath.

“I don’t think I could make up for my actions if I paid for them for the rest of my life. But I still do what I can. That’s why I tried to heal you, Melissa.” He pointed out. “Working as a doctor—a true healer—in this place is the least I can do.”

Hesitantly, Armstrong spoke up. “And your research? What you took with you when you fled?”

Marcoh scrubbed his face, coarse fingers digging into deep wrinkles. He was quiet.

“The Philosopher’s Stone.” Melissa declared and the State Alchemists’ eyes snapped to her. “You stole it, didn’t you?”

“. . . I made it.”

“You have the Stone?!” Alphonse exclaimed, speaking up for the first time since the gloom of traveling in the livestock car settled over him.

The doctor hummed wordlessly and looked over at the bed. Edward scrutinized the cot and focused on a red splotch.

“Is that—” He was up and moving before he could finish speaking.

“Careful!” Melissa cautioned as he plucked it from the gauzy sheets.

Curiously, Edward squished the Stone between his gloved fingers, stunned at its malleability. He meandered back to the table and placed it down, watching as it rolled unevenly. Melissa slowly reached forward and poked it delicately. The Stone was disturbingly warm under her finger and a strong ozone scent wafted up from it. The girl shuddered and drew her hand back.

“Do you smell that?” Melissa asked tonelessly, stupefied that she was in the same room as—much less interacting with—the Philosopher’s Stone.

“Like a transmutation.” Edward finished her thought, contemplative hand to his chin.

“The Sage’s Stone, Stone of Heaven, The Great Elixir, Red Tincture, The Fifth Element.” Dr. Marcoh listed as the alchemists across from him studied the wobbling red blob. “With so many names for the Philosopher’s Stone, it’s possible that it may not be a stone at all.” The old man settled back into his chair, the wood creaking with his weight. “But this one was created only for experimental purposes. It’s an imperfect compound; it’s impossible to know when it will reach its limits and cease to work. Even so, these compounds used in the war were found to be. . . successful.”

 _‘Like Cornello’s ring. It shattered after it rebounded on him. No wonder it was so extreme.’_ Melissa remembered the shocked look on the priest’s face when his Stone fell apart. He must not have known it was incomplete.

“It may be imperfect, but the fact that you made it means the perfect Stone isn’t impossible.” Edward suddenly shot up and his hand slammed onto the table. “Dr. Marcoh! Please show me your research!” It was a near demand, but the teen was too excited to care. Melissa and Alphonse dragged their attention away from the Stone to the doctor, staring at him imploringly.

Marcoh’s face twisted in confusion. “What? What do you plan to do with that information?” He turned to the Major. “Major Armstrong, who _are_ these children?”

The Major shifted. “Well, you see, the boy is a State Alchemist and—”

Dr. Marcoh’s face fell into his hands. “This boy is—?!" He started and huffed in frustration. “A state license at such a young age. . .? He must have been lured in the promise of riches and prestige. Foolish child!” The doctor snapped, wide saddened eyes focused on Edward who glared back evenly. “Do you know how many State Alchemists threw away their licenses after the war? Threw away their _lives_?! I am far from the only one to regret their actions during the war, but to—”

“You think I don’t know that?!” Shouted Edward, clutching his limp right sleeve. “I had no choice but to become a State Alchemist!” With a fuming breath, Edward reeled himself back in. “It’s a means to achieve my goal. I made this bed of nails and my only option is to lie in it.”

Dr. Marcoh stared for a long moment, eyes flickering between the teens at the table, lingering on Alphonse’s soul in the crate and Edward’s missing arm. “You did it, didn’t you? Committed the ultimate taboo. There isn’t a body in there, is there, boy?” He inquired of Alphonse who shook his head sadly.

“No, Sir.”

The doctor turned back to Edward. “To transmute a soul and walk out of it alive. . . with such talent, I doubt it’s impossible for you kids to create a complete Philosopher’s Stone.” He admitted with a scowl.

“So then. . .?”

Marcoh recollected himself. “I cannot allow you to see my data.” He affirmed.

Melissa’s hand gripped the edge of the table. This was going nowhere.

“And why the hell not?!”

The doctor retrieved the Stone and stood to put it away. “I’ve said all I needed to; it bears no repeating. Getting your bodies back to their original state. . . the Stone should not be wasted on something so trite.”

Melissa’s chair screeched along the floor as she launched to her feet. _“’Trite’?!”_ She cried, enraged. How dare he? To claim he was healer and refuse Edward its use, how hypocritical. Utilizing the Stone for anything other than genocide was a step up.

“Doctor!” The Major warned. “That’s too harsh.”

 _“No one_ can see my research.” Marcoh reiterated, frozen in front of his medicine cabinet. “It is the devil’s work; it will only lead to hell.”

 _“We’ve already seen hell!”_ Edward growled.

“. . . Please, just go.”

Edward’s head fell forward, the wind taken from his sails and stepped back from the table. Melissa reached out for him but thought against it at the dark expression in his face. Armstrong lifted Alphonse onto his shoulder once more and Melissa followed after them and out of the room. 

“Melissa. . .” Called the doctor and she peered at him over her shoulder. “I’m sorry I couldn’t do anything to help you.”

Melissa could only scoff as she turned from him. “You’ve done plenty.” She did not bother to hide the disappointment saturating her voice.

Back at the station, the displeasure could be seen rolling off Edward in waves from where he sat on the bench. Alphonse rested quietly in his crate on the ground, staring down the tracks as if he could make the train come faster. Melissa was damn furious seated between Edward and the Major. Edward was right; if Armstrong were not with them, she could have gotten away with taking the Stone. But, the idea of stealing the old doctor’s only insurance of an easy life felt like a cold, wet blanket draped around her shoulders. Yes, Melissa could have taken it, no problem, but she surely would not have felt good about it.

“Are you satisfied with how that turned out?” Asked Armstrong. He stared the teens down as he awaited their response, colossal arms crossed over his barrel chest.

Melissa sighed, leaning back onto Edward’s arm draped over the back of the bench. “What are you talking about?”

“You could not obtain the data, but you easily could have taken the Stone by force if you wanted. Why didn’t you?”

“I could almost taste it; I wanted the Stone so bad.” Edward grumbled. “But the people in this town. . . they would lose their only doctor if I had taken it. He wouldn’t be able to heal them. It just doesn’t sit right with me.” He turned to his brother. “Guess we’ll just have to think of another way to get our bodies back, huh Al?”

“Right!” Alphonse chirped. “We’ll have to figure it out on our own.”

“And you, Major?” Edward probed. “Aren’t you gonna report Dr. Marcoh to Central?”

Armstrong frowned down at him “I only met an ordinary country doctor named Maro.”

Melissa snickered at the Major’s kind forgetfulness. “Aw, man!” She stretched and groaned, her arm falling around Edward’s shoulders. “Looks like we’re back to where we started. What a long road, huh?” She brought the boy into her side, and Edward only sighed dramatically.

“Hey. . .!” Came from the start of the platform and all turned their heads to find Dr. Marcoh sweat-slicked and clutching an envelope.

“Doctor? What are you doing here?” Melissa and Edward stood at once as the old man came closer.

He held out the envelope. “Here. This is where I hid my research.” Edward took it gingerly, but the doctor held on. “If you can look truth in the face, then do it. You might find the truth that lies within the truth.”

Both teens and the Major blinked at the man, mulling over his nonsense. Marcoh shook his head. “Never mind. I’ve already said more than enough.” Before any of them could say anything, he turned to leave the platform. “I pray for the day you get your bodies back.”

The Major, moved to tears, snapped his hand up in a salute and the teens bowed low as the doctor walked out of sight. Melissa was the first to stand, a fair bit bewildered.

“. . . I really didn’t expect him to come around. Does that make me a bad person?” She turned to Edward, a little joking but mostly curious and his bow of respect turned into one of laughter.

“You were prepared for the worst in this situation, Madam Tyson.” Armstrong boomed, hand rested primly upon his suit lapel. “I say that makes you quite realistic.”

She nodded derisively. “Uh huh, speaking of prepared, what were you guys doing waiting so long to come after me?”

Edward stood quickly. “We wanted to see what he’d do with someone unfamiliar with alchemy. How he’d use it medically; that’s all!”

“You couldn’t have waited until after he healed me?”

“And, I must say, what a spectacular performance! You played the part of a wounded damsel flawlessly! Bravo, Madam Tyson! Bravo!”

“Well, it’s not like she needed to try too hard. . .”

_“Excuse me?”_

“Besides, Dr. Marcoh said the Stone could have failed at any time. It might have rebounded, and you could’ve been in a worse state than Al!”

“Now, children—”

“Oh, don’t you—!"

“Train’s here!”

Once settled into an empty booth, this time with Alphonse in the carriage with them, Edward tore into the envelope and found a single page with seven words scrawled across it.

“National Central Library, First Branch. – Tim Marcoh.”

“I see. . . ‘if you want to hide a tree, place it in a forest.’” Intoned the Major from where he read the page over Edward’s shoulder. “Their book collection is beyond comparison. There could be millions of volumes.”

Melissa could not hear the Major over the excited thump of her heart in her ears and Edward felt the same if his grip on the page and the grin overtaking his face were anything to go by. Their first true lead on the Philosopher’s Stone. A way to create a perfect compound to get their bodies back and . . .

“. . . This is it.” Edward wheezed. “This is _really_ it. We’re so close!”

“All right Brother!” Alphonse cheered. “We’re gonna get our bodies back!”

Edward pressed the page to his chest, body turned to the window. “Yeah.” He croaked.

* * *

  
  


They were there. The Resembool station loomed over Melissa’s head as she stepped off the train the following morning. She had never seen it as her family had taken their horse and buggy through the Eastern Sector; this was the only part of the village she had not seen, and it _terrified_ her. The sky was clearer than she remembered, the grass greener and the people better dressed. But the hills were smaller, and so were the houses and farmland littered with animals. 

It was all so typical but so unusual and Tally—no, Melissa. She could _never_ be Tally here—felt herself start to panic. She was waiting for the gunshots, the screams, the flames – oh, God, the _flames_ . The blue sky blackened with smoke, footsteps pounded the dirt roads and the dust clogged her throat, her nose. She could not breathe. _Her mother, where was her mother?_ She was there, taking her hand, calling her name. What was it?

“Melissa!” That was not her name. . .

“Melissa, are you with me?” That was not her mother.

Right. She had to be Melissa now. No time for lost little girls.

Shaken out of her reverie, Melissa’s eyes followed the arm connected to the hand grasping hers up to Edward’s face pinched with worry. Right; she was on the train platform with him, Alphonse, and the Major. She was here.

Edward’s eyes were a molten gold as he searched her face and Melissa felt tempted to take off her glasses. “Where’d you go? You scared the shit outta me.”

Melissa blinked heavily and shook her head, which only amplified the burgeoning migraine that had become a constant since her concussion. “I-I’m alright. The concussion makes me space out is all.” At Edward’s unrelenting stare she pulled her hand away. “I’m fine. Really.”

“You’re crying.”

Melissa’s hand flew to her face nearly fast enough to slap herself and felt wetness at the corners of her eyes. Furiously she rubbed it away with the sleeve of her shirt. “Cut it out, Ed. Can we go already?” She huffed and he finally backed off.

Baggage in hand, they made their way out of the station and onto Resembool’s only paved road. It was a cracked dusty charcoal covered in footprints and dotted with horse dung. The day’s residual heat radiated up from the asphalt and tired the teens further, their layered clothing not helping the situation. The Major appeared unbothered other than the growing patch of sweat on his back. Behind them was a consistent creaking of wooden wheels and snap of a whip, chatter reached their ears as the creaking and snapping grew louder and louder until a shadow big enough to rival the Major rolled alongside them.

“Well, I’ll be!” Cried an accented voice and Melissa squinted up against the glare of the sun to find a man, woman, and sleeping child atop a cart pulled along by a great speckled horse. “Is that Edward Elric?” Said the man, adjusting his wide-brimmed hat to see him better. “Ya get hold of a map and find yer way back to Resembool, my boy?”

Edward grinned up at the man. “Mr. Freyer! It’s good to see you. Oh, and you Mrs. Freyer. It’s been a while, huh?”

“It sure has.” Said Mrs. Freyer, laying a hand upon the child’s head. “You’ve missed quite a bit, Edward.”

Edward laughed gleefully, and with that sound Melissa remembered he was actually very social outside of their little group. “You’ve gone and had a kid?! What happened to a house full of dogs?”

“The missus got pregnant ‘fore I had the chance!” Guffawed Mr. Freyer and his wife swatted his shoulder. “Oh? And who might ya two be?” He asked the Major and Melissa.

“Major Alex Louis Armstrong from Central at your service, Sir, Ma’am.” Armstrong introduced with a clean salute, thankfully keeping his clothes intact. “I’m escorting Edward back home.”

“Ah, so it _is_ true. Ya’s gone and gotten yerself involved with the milit’y, eh Ed? They need the small ones ta clean the vents?” Mr. Freyer jeered, and Edward flew off the handle with colorful insults as the man laughed and Mrs. Freyer covered her sleeping child’s ears. “There’s the ole Elric Temper! And you, Ms.?”

With a calming hand on Edward’s shoulder she spoke. “Melissa Tyson, Sir. A friend from Central.”

“Well, golly! They lettin’ everyone’s kids into the milit’y now, huh? Well, it’s nice ta meet ya, Ms. Tyson. Ya three headin’ to the Rockbell’s?” He asked. “If ya are, we’re passin’ by on our way to trade in some cheese and we’ll gladly take ya on for the ride.”

Armstrong flushed. “Oh, we couldn’t possibly—”

“Really?” Edward cut him off, already tossing his suitcase into the back of the cart. “Thanks so much! Come on, Melissa.” He motioned her over and grabbed her around the thighs to lift her into the cart before she had the chance to refute. Unfortunately, Edward dodged the spiteful kick aimed his way and instead used Melissa’s extended leg to levy himself up into the cart beside her. Alphonse’s crate and the rest of their luggage came next, the boy’s helmet wiggling loosely as he settled into the role of empty armor. Armstrong walked alongside the cart as to not weigh it down with his tremendous size and the teens sighed gratefully.

Edward and the Freyers kept up conversation for most of the ride, catching them up on what has happened since he left (not much), asking where Alphonse was (right there, but they could not really explain that), and where to find the best cheese in the Eastern Sector (check under the tarp! Ha ha!). Melissa watched the scenery pass them by, though there was not much to it, the same hills and farmland repeating itself only interrupted by the occasional house. Edward fell quiet as they came upon a pale-yellow house at the bottom of a hill some miles away from the train station. The cart came to a stop at a walkway lined with a knee-high stone wall and the group unloaded themselves to start down the path.

A relieved sigh billowed out of the shorter teen and he picked up the pace to walk ahead. Melissa had seen that smile on Edward’s face very few times before, one so open and gentle, truly at ease as he made his way to the Rockbell residence. Relaxed looked good on him.

A black and white blur of fur and brushed steel rushed them, pausing to poke and sniff with a wet nose. Once the dog picked up on Edward, it began barking madly, nipping at his fingers, and jumping up to lick his face.

“Hey, Den! Hey boy!” Edward laughed, rubbing the dog’s ear as his tongue lolled out happily. “Major, Melissa, meet Den: the best guard dog this side of Central. Keep your lunchmeat close.” He warned.

Melissa’s eyes followed the dog as he circled them, barking occasionally and herding them toward the house. Alphonse called for him and laughed as Den’s head whipped about searching for the source of his voice before figuring out that he was atop the Major’s shoulders. The dog leaped for the tuft of cloth dangling from the helmet and as Melissa noticed one of his legs were Automail. At the end of the path stood a small figure, smoke trailing up from the pipe in their mouth.

“Hey, Granny!” Edward called energetically. “I’m gonna need that tune up!”

Pinako Rockbell was a miniscule woman with a demanding presence twice the size of Major Armstrong. Small, wrinkled, and dressed in a grease-stained apron, she appeared unassuming, but a quick wit was put to good use when she opened her mouth. Such as after introductions where she immediately lay into Edward about his height. Though it was odd coming from someone half a foot shorter than him.

On the balcony above, a glass door squeaked open and a shining projectile came hurtling toward Edward with startling accuracy. Quickly, Melissa pushed the teen to the ground mid-insult with Pinako and stepped to the side herself as a wrench buried itself in the wood of Alphonse’s crate behind her. Edward turned, ready to launch into another enraged rant, when his eyes landed on the wrench and he went a sickly gray.

“What’s that about?” Asked Melissa, eyes on the balcony.

“You’ll see.” Pinako sighed.

 _“Hey! Ed!”_ Said teen whipped around to look up at the balcony. “How many times do I have to tell ya to call before ya come in for maintenance?!”

“Winry, you jerk! Ya coulda killed me!” Edward screamed back.

A girl, around Melissa’s age, with long blonde hair closer to a lemon yellow than Edward’s golden wheat leaned atop the railing with a tinkling laugh. A bandana held her hair out of her face and the top of her jumpsuit was tied around her hips, revealing a black bandeau top.

“Welcome back!” Winry giggled.

Edward, still piled on the ground, pouted up at the girl. “Yeah, right. . .”

Melissa could tell Edward was trying not to smile and snorted at his put-off expression. His head whipped around to pin her with a half-hearted glare and Melissa quickly distracted herself with Den. The boy’s fuse was already short enough after the shouting match with Pinako, no reason for him to blow up on her next.

The elder Rockbell escorted them inside the big yellow house and allowed the group to get comfortable as she prepared tea in the quaint kitchen. Melissa took the chance to look around the front room: a neat dining table with room for six, a couch with a matching loveseat and radio atop the coffee table. The walls were littered with photos of a much younger Winry with two adults Melissa could only assume were her parents.

“What’re you doing?” Edward pried, following Melissa to the wall of photo frames. He had shed his cloak and jacket, now in his loose black tank with his open port on display.

Melissa’s right hand came up to cradle her sling. “This is the closest I’ll get to your childhood home. Excuse me for being curious.” She chided.

Edward leaned against the wall in front of her. “Yeah, well, if you’re lookin’ for baby pictures, you won’t find them out here. Granny Pinako’s got ‘em hidden somewhere.” He waved his hand before settling it across his ribs in an allude to crossing his arms.

Melissa copied his position against the wall with a chuckle. “Mmhm, I probably don’t want to see them anyway. I bet you were an ugly baby.” She teased and Edward bared his teeth, not unlike an animal.

“No way! . . . That was Alphonse.”

Melissa barked out a laugh just as Pinako placed the tea tray on the coffee table. Edward moved to get himself a cup, but Melissa stopped him by shedding her white shirt, taking her arm out of her sling, and tossing both to him.

“Would you like some tea, Major?”

“Yes. Three sugars if you please.”

Melissa smiled to herself. Of course, the Major had a sweet tooth. She prepared Armstrong his sweet tea and handed it off to him before making another cup with two sugars then another with one. She nudged Alphonse’s crate with her hip as she passed, and the armored soul giggled up at her. Standing beside Edward again, Melissa gave him the sweeter of the drinks and blew on her own.

Edward glanced between Melissa, the cup in his hand, the shirt placed across his shoulders, and sling draped over his wrist. “Aren’t you ‘posed to be restin’ your arm?”

“’Resting’ doesn’t mean ‘let atrophy in a sling for a month’, y'know.” The fugitive answered into her cup.

Edward tilted his head at her, a searching expression on his face. “It’s barely been three days. Doesn’t it hurt?”

“Nothing an ice pack can’t fix.”

“Unbelievable.” He scoffed.

“Hey,” Melissa started after another sip of lemongrass. “We’re in a doctor’s house. I’ll just get a checkup.” She compromised, waving her teacup for emphasis. “Just worry about getting _your_ arm and Alphonse back in order.”

“. . . Thought you were ‘posed to do that for me.” Edward remarked quietly, staring at Melissa over the rim of his cup.

Melissa felt her ears go hot as her declaration from two nights ago was thrown back in her face. _“Live and let me do the rest.”_ He was never going to let her live it down. A moment of shared vulnerability spoiled by his smart mouth.

Her eyes fell to her half-empty teacup. “Shut up.” She warned gravely, the embarrassment a sharp ringing in her ears. Edward snickered. “Just shut up.”

A moment later, Winry came thumping down the stairs, a giddy grin on her face that quickly slipped into a horrified gawk when her cobalt eyes found Edward’s right shoulder. “W-wh-what happened?!” She shrieked, pointing to Edward’s lack of arm.

Edward took a nonchalant sip of tea. “Yeah, sorry. It broke.” 

Winry stomped over, arms shaking furiously and fingers twitching in a way that screamed for a weapon of some sort. Melissa knew the fidget well. “Whaddaya _mean_ ‘it broke’?! Th-that was my _masterpiece!_ A state-of-the-art Automail prosthetic, and you—gah! Let me see the damage so I can fix it and get you outta here!” The mechanic raged. Melissa stepped out of the way, not wanting any part of her mecha-babble rant.

Before Edward could save himself, she chimed in, “Yeah, when he said ‘broke’ what he meant was ‘in pieces’.” Edward opened his mouth to argue but thought against it and instead waved his teacup in agreement. Winry looked faint.

She turned to Alphonse, stuck in his crate. “And you, Al? ‘in pieces’? Just what kind of lifestyle do you guys lead?” The armor chuckled nervously in response.

Melissa reached out a hand to steady the girl. “Are you sure you could handle it if I told you?” She dared, leading the mechanic to the sofa.

“Melissa!” Edward shouted in warning.

She glared at the boy over her shoulder and he sunk further against the wall. “What? If you won’t tell her what got her Automail destroyed, I will.”

“It’s _my_ Automail! My arm!”

“Like it matters!” Melissa went to retort further but was stopped by a soft hand on her arm.

“I don’t mean to be rude, but,” Winry stared up at Melissa from where she sat hunched in grief over her destroyed magnum opus. “Who are you?”

Melissa blinked and pulled back from the mechanic, a little embarrassed she had forgotten to formally introduce herself. “Ah, right. Sorry, I’m Melissa Tyson, from Central.” Melissa paused as she realized another thing; Winry did not know her and Edward’s story. Hopefully the schooling here was forgettable enough for her to not recall some classmates. “Actually, I’m from Resembool originally. We probably shared a class or two when we were really young, but I can’t say I remember you.” She amended quickly.

Winry flushed, perhaps embarrassed over her own supposed lapse in memory. “It’s okay. To be fair, I dropped outta school pretty early on to become an Automail mechanic full-time.” The blonde offered a hand. “Winry Rockbell; nice to officially meet ‘cha, Melissa!”

Melissa, immensely relieved that nothing fell through, smiled and shook her hand. “Likewise, Winry.” The mechanic’s grip was firm and when she pulled away, Melissa’s palm was covered in splotches of oil and steel dust.

“Oh, I’m so sorry!” Winry fussed, pulling a semi-clean cloth from her back pocket and began wiping off Melissa’s hand. “I was just finishin’ up somethin’ upstairs and—!”

Melissa chuckled, charmed at the other girl’s concern. “Don’t worry about it. It’s not too different from Edward’s Automail.”

Winry sighed and relaxed into the couch, feet kicked up onto the coffee table. “So, what brings ya all the way from Central?”

Not at all heeding Edward’s whispered threats and slices of his hand across his throat, Melissa launched into a recount of the last few days, albeit heavily edited to adhere to the military’s publication of their encounter with Scar. Edward and Alphonse chimed in occasionally to add and remove details where Melissa was unsure to continue in their meeting with Dr. Marcoh. Once Winry and Pinako were caught up, Edward was escorted to a bathroom by the elder Rockbell to change into patient’s clothing for his examination.

“So, y’all have to get back to Central as soon as possible to figure out this ‘Philosopher Stone’ thing?” Winry reviewed as Pinako sat Edward down to measure his legs.

“Yeah, we’re really in a rush.” Edward added before lighting up at the visible difference in length between his flesh and his Automail leg.

“Hmm, seems we’ll needa adjust your leg once we rebuild your arm, Ed. You’ve grown a whole seven and a half centimeters.” The woman shook her head to herself, chuckling shrewdly. Winry seemed especially shocked.

“Really? Ya’s gotten taller, Ed? Ya look just as short as last time.” Remarked the mechanic and Melissa sniffed into her, now cold, tea. Edward, too far gone on actually having grown, said nothing and listened closely to Pinako.

“Yer old leg can still be used, but yer arm has to be built from scratch, so. . .” The woman took a long drag of her pipe as she calculated the cost and timeframe.

“How long d’you think it’ll be? A week?” Edward asked impatiently and Melissa nudged him. 

“Edward, come on. Do you really think they could get all this done in such a short time?” She chided, but the boy was still focused on the small woman. A hand landed on her shoulder, calling her attention to Winry who stood behind the couch.

“Don’t underestimate the Rockbells, Melissa.” The girl smirked.

“Three days.” Stated Pinako and Winry’s smirk grew into a grin.

“See? Just—wait. Three days?!” The mechanic paced the living room, muttering to herself as her grandmother removed Edward’s leg and replaced it with a wooden prosthetic. “Between craftin’ all the parts, adjustment, ‘sembly, wirin’ an’ connections, buffing. . . aw man. It’s gonna be three all-nighters for sure.” Melissa winced sympathetically as the girl hefted Edward’s Automail leg over her shoulder.

Edward wobbled over. “Sorry 'bout that, Winry.”

The mechanic beamed. “Well, y’all gotta get back to Central as fast as possible, right? Don’t worry; we’ll get this done in no time.” Roughly, she smacked Edward’s shoulder and the boy went careening into the couch, nearly toppling it and Melissa over with his momentum. “But, for a rush job like this, yer gonna have to pay. . . extra. Oops, forgot yer not very steady on that spare, huh?”

Edward glared and Melissa burst into laughter. “Oh, Winry,” she huffed, wiping away a gleeful tear. “Oh, I like you.” Winry giggled and Edward stomped off through the front door, followed closely by Alphonse escorted by the Major.

Pinako waddled over, a clipboard with Edward’s measurements listed in hand. “Now Winry, before ya get started on Edward’s arm, why don’t ya show Ms. Tyson to her room? And, Major? I’ve gotta job for ya.”

Winry whirled to the girl still seated on the couch. “C’mon! Bring your suitcase too.”

Melissa followed Winry upstairs and down a hallway dubbed for the female patients and pointed out a room for her. The room was fairly bare, though it was to be expected of a recovery room, a full-sized bed against the middle of the far wall and nightstand, there was a small shelf of books built into the wall beside the window and an armchair close to the door beside the. . . fireplace. Melissa froze in the doorway. 

“Is everythin’ okay?” Winry asked gently from behind her and Melissa quickly shook herself off.

“Y-yeah! I just realized I don’t have any more clean clothes. After a whole day on the train, I’m kinda in need of a shower, too.” She covered. “Could I use your washer?”

Winry smiled, adjusting the Automail on her shoulder. “I’ll do ya one better: you can take a shower now and I’ll lend ya some clothes. How’s ‘bout that?”

Melissa placed down her suitcase to wave her off with her uninjured hand. “Oh, no, you don’t have to do that! I can wait.”

Winry rolled her eyes. “Oh, c’mon! It’s nothin’ really. We’re pretty similar in height, though you are on the skinny side, I could find somethin’ to fit ‘cha. Maybe you could even keep ‘em.”

Melissa quickly realized that Winry would keep going until the argument went her way and, to cut it short, conceited to the girl’s demands. Once Winry left to find her something to wear, Melissa opened her suitcase to gather her toiletries and some clean undergarments, careful to turn her back to the fireplace. Worried that her hair may wash out in the shower, she also took one of the many squeeze-bottles of dark hair dye with her as well.

The room door creaked open. “Hey! ‘Ere’s what I found.” Said Winry. In her arms was an honestly monumental pile of clothing that she dropped onto the bed. “. . . Man, I really needa clean out my closet. Anyway, I think these might fit ‘cha and you can take some with when y’all have to leave again.”

Melissa, a bit overwhelmed at the apparel tumbling off the side of the bed, turned to Winry. “Thank you so much. Guess I won’t have to go shopping for a while, huh?” Frankly, she was going to ask Edward to go clothes shopping once they were back in Central, but it was a touch embarrassing to ask the boy for money. He was a stickler about prices at times.

Winry giggled. “This way cuts out the hassle, ‘least. Okay, I’ll let ya go. I’ve gotta get started ‘fore Granny starts yellin’ at me.” The mechanic waved over her shoulder as she left, and Melissa felt as though she had experienced a hurricane.

Thankfully, not all of Winry’s clothes were as revealing as her current outfit and Melissa easily found a pair of denim shorts and a green blouse. She would have to clean up the rest once she was out of the shower. After a quick inspection of her scalp and finding that her roots were turning white, Melissa decided to dye her hair before her shower and sat waiting for it to seep into the follicles on the edge of the tub. What she really wanted was to go a day without heavy colorant coating her head and finicky glasses perched on her nose, to go by her own name again. But such a luxury could cost her life, so Tally remained hidden in Melissa’s shadow.

The warm water was heaven on her bruised body, and she could have stood under the spray forever, but Melissa did not want to waste what was surely a limited supply of water and overstay her welcome at the Rockbell house. Melissa quickly rinsed off and dressed herself, towel wrapped around her shoulders to catch any stray droplets from her hair. Back in her room, Melissa folded the pile of Winry’s clothes and pushed them to one side of the bed then gathered her dirty clothes from her suitcase and went downstairs. Off the back-door Melissa found a mudroom with a washing machine where she divided her clothes and started the first cycle.

“Psst!”

Melissa whipped around at the whisper and stepped out of the mudroom to find Edward hanging out the back door dressed in his own clothes. “I’ve been waitin’ for you to get down here.”

“What is it?”

Edward stepped back outside. “C’mon!”

Melissa threw her towel back into the mudroom to wash later and wandered after her friend. “Edward? Where’re you going?” She stopped on the back porch to fit into some sandals, probably Winry’s, then followed him into the yard. Alphonse sat against the wall of the house, waving as they passed him. “Do you know what your brother’s up to, Alphonse?” She stopped to address him.

The light in the helmet’s eyes curled into elated crescents. “You’ll see.”

Bemused, Melissa’s hand fell to the tassel atop his head to coil it around her fingers. “I hate when you boys plot against me.” Alphonse giggled.

“Tally!”

The girl turned to Edward who stood at the back gate with Den at his side, waving her over. With a pat of the helmet, Tally went to meet him. “Seriously, what are we doing?” She asked tersely and Den nudged her with the bouquet in his mouth. Tally grinned wickedly down at Edward. “Aw, Edward! You shouldn’t have!”

Edward shoved her and the girl laughed. “They aren’t for you, dumbass!” He took Tally’s hand and led her down the dirt road. “Now, c’mon, before he sees us.” He motioned at the Major in the yard, brutally splitting wood with his fists. It was so ridiculous that Tally could only laugh.

Once the Rockbell house was out of sight, Edward reached into his coat pocket. “And don’t think I forgot.” He fished out the sling and Tally groaned. “If it bothers you that much, we could always get you Automail.” Edward taunted and Tally rolled her eyes, still blue behind her glasses. The boy helped her put it on and, with the combined effort of their only working hands, tied it off behind her neck.

“Never had to deal with this before.” Tally sighed.

“What d’you mean?”

She waved to the sling pressing her arm to her chest. “I mean. . . hospitals, slings and long-term injury! Just. . . I dunno. Before you guys, I never had to deal with that stuff, I just let it be and still worked while it hurt. I’m not all that used to taking it easy.” Tally watched Den walk ahead of them, seeming to know where he was going. “It’s kinda dumb to complain about taking a break.”

Slowly, Edward slipped his arm into Tally’s as he ruminated over her words. “No, I get it. After runnin’ around all this time, it feels weird to just sit back. It doesn’t help that there’s nothin’ to do out here but shear sheep and watch the clouds roll by.” They walked arm in arm in contemplative silence for a few minutes until— “You worked while injured?!”

“Well—yeah! There wasn’t much else for me to do, so I just slept it off!”

“Ya can’t ‘sleep off’ a _concussion!”_

On their way to wherever-they-were-going, Edward and Tally were stopped by excited locals eager to confirm the rumor of The Fullmetal Alchemist visiting their small town. They were well-meaning in their inquiries about his job and reason for being back, and quick to let the teens go as they had farm duties to return to, though reminded Edward to visit them sometime soon. Tally noticed the pleased smile on Edward’s face and bumped into his side.

“Wipe that look off your face, you’ll scare the kids.” 

Edward pinched Tally’s side and she bowed away from him with a reflexive laugh. “’Scare the kids’. I’ll show ya scary.” He threatened and drew the girl to his side to pinch and poke her repeatedly.

“Okay. _Okay! Uncle! Uncle!”_ Tally cackled and Edward stopped his attacks, his grin smug. Den had started barking when Tally laughed, picking up on her energy and reacting playfully. Still giggling, Tally took the bouquet from the dog’s mouth to place in her sling and kicked a stick from the side of the road for him to fetch.

Turning to Edward, she said, “You never told me where we’re going.”

“. . . . To see my mom.”

His _dead_ mother. In Resembool’s _graveyard._ Tally felt both honored and cowed that Edward would bring her to meet his mother. She knew just how much his family meant to him. Tally paused in her gait, arm slipping from his hold. 

“Really? Are you sure you want me there?”

Edward stopped and turned to her; expression forcefully indifferent. “Why wouldn’t I?”

Engulfed with a sudden fondness, Tally took Edward’s hand again as Den came running back to lead them down the road. The teens and dog walked in silence to the graveyard, unable to come up with conversation topics once the mood was brought down with the reveal of their destination. It was not entirely uncomfortable, but Tally ached to drown it out with something.

The graveyard sat at the bottom of one of Resembool’s many hills, the plots placed far apart as big families were common in the East; the space reserved for incoming relatives. Edward took the flowers from Tally to place at a headstone not far from the entrance.

_Trisha Elric_

_1878 – 1904_

_‘She was young.’_ Tally realized. She looked to Edward who stared down at his mother’s grave pensively. _‘So was he.’_

Edward kneeled in front of the grave with a sigh and pat the ground beside him. Thinking it was for him, Den quickly took the spot, but Edward shooed the dog away. Tally walked forward, heart in her throat, and sat beside the boy in front of his mother. The grass was withered and scratchy under her knees.

“Hi, Mom.” Edward started, his tone soft. “There’s someone I’d like you to meet.”

Tally, a little numb from surprise, removed her glasses and fiddled with them in her lap. She did not think to bring her daggers with her, for good reason she supposed. “Hello, Ms. Elric,” She started tentatively, and Edward allotted himself a small smile beside her. “My name’s Tally Lucas. I’m a friend of your sons’.”

“You can call ‘er Trisha. She used to say ‘Ms. Elric’ made ‘er feel old.” Edward commented and Tally laughed a little.

Together they sat, filling in the empty space before them with stories from across Amestris. Tally recounted Edward’s bad habits and ideas gone awry much to the boy’s chagrin, though he got back at her for it with tales of her time roaming the country as The Diamond Prodigy— “what an outrageous name.” “I didn’t come up with it!” –. Soon, Edward’s muted demeanor was overcome with ear-to-ear grins and belly-shaking laughter as he bowled over Tally’s voice to correct her and match her quip for quip when she argued back. The passage of time only reached them when Den fell over asleep in Tally’s lap.

Edward pat his knees and stood. “Looks like we have to get going. Maybe dinner’ll be done by the time we get back.” Tally stood as well and dusted herself off, Den tumbling off her knees and hopping awake. “Bye, Mom. I’ll come back with Alphonse ‘fore we leave for Central.” Edward said, hand placed atop the headstone with a smile.

Tally bowed to Trisha’s grave. “Goodbye, Trisha. I’m happy to have met you.” Edward took her hand again and led them out the graveyard and back toward the Rockbell’s.

“Thanks for comin’ with me, Tally.” Edward said. They were most of the way back to the Rockbell’s, the top of the big, yellow house just peeking over a faraway hill. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you right away where we were goin’.”

Tally squeezed Edward’s hand and he looked up to find her smiling at him. “It’s alright. I just didn’t expect you to want me to meet her. I know how much she means to you.”

Edward’s brows furrowed, cross with her. “Ya say that as if you don’t mean anythin’ ta me either!” He raised their clasped hands and shook them in Tally’s face. “I wouldn’t’ve brought ya along if I didn’t—” Edward cut himself off, a cherry red flooding his face. He dropped the girl’s hand. “Whatever.”

Tally, now on a mission, began pestering Edward on what he was going to say. Though she knew that—as much as Edward refused to admit it—he cared. “No, what was that? You were gonna say something? Edward, what were you gonna say? It sounded a bit like—”

“She woulda liked you.”

Tally paused in her torment as Edward’s statement echoed in her head. ‘“ _She would have liked you.” His mother would have liked you’._ She was not sure why what he said caused such an emotional reaction in her, made her vision to go misty as Edward walked ahead of her and she blinked away the burning sensation in her eyes. Tally hurried to catch up with him and draped her arm across his shoulders.

“I think she would be proud of you.” Edward only lowered his head and placed his arm around Tally’s waist.


End file.
